image: LA BioMed honors Los Angeles county supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. view more
Credit: Office of Mark Ridley-Thomas
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 20, 2010) – The Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) will honor Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Anne-Merelie Murrell, president of Giroux Glass Company, Inc., on Oct. 30 at the Blueprint for Discovery Gala at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas will be honored with the LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Award for Community Service. Mrs. Murrell will be honored with the LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Award for Inspirational Leadership.
"This year's event has a new name, the Blueprint for Discovery Gala, to signify our commitment to modernizing our facilities, and it will feature two outstanding honorees," said LA BioMed President and CEO David I. Meyer, PhD. "Supervisor Ridley-Thomas is a dedicated public servant who has been a champion of LA BioMed, and Mrs. Murrell is an inspirational leader and businesswoman whose activities have been of great benefit to the community."
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has served the community as a teacher, a community leader, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, a member of the California Senate and – since 2008 – as a county supervisor. He has been a strong advocate for LA BioMed, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and medical care to the underserved.
Mrs. Murrell was the youngest president of the UCLA Medical Center Auxiliary, a support group of more than 1,000 volunteers that provides financial aid and assistance to patients and their families. She conceived of and directed the founding of the UCLA Medical Thrift Shop, which has contributed close to $6 million to the hospital over the years. Her company employs 200 inner-city residents, and she has put together a succession plan that transfers ownership of Giroux Glass to the employees.
This year's Blueprint for Discovery Gala will include dinner, dancing and silent and live auctions. Among the items available for bidding will be a Windstar cruise, a Goodyear blimp ride, "Dinner with a Doc," fine wines, great getaways and much more.
The gala also features Discovery Showcases, which provide a sampling of the innovative research underway at LA BioMed.
Jennifer Laity and Joyce Brown are the co-chairs for this year's event. Former Olympian Rafer Johnson and his wife, Betsy Johnson, are the honorary chairs of the event. Tickets are $275 and can be purchased by contacting Eileen Mosler, 310.222.8284, emosler@labiomed.org.
About LA BioMed
Founded in 1952, LA BioMed is one of the country's leading nonprofit independent biomedical research institutes. It has more than 150 principal researchers conducting studies into improved treatments and cures for cancer, inherited diseases, infectious diseases, illnesses caused by environmental factors and more. It also educates young scientists and provides community services, including immunization and childhood nutrition programs. LA BioMed is academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.LABioMed.org