CHOP ‘cheer’ leaders rock casino fundraiser

One of the best assets that the City of Brotherly Love has to offer is its remarkable healthcare systems and hospitals that go along with them. For youngsters that healing place is the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, affectionately known as CHOP. In addition to its doctors, nurses, interns and staff helping to get them well there’s also a cadre of couples who’ve made it their mission to see that the whole family is cared for when wee ones are sick.

This February marked the fourth time that the “younger” set of gals and guys who support the hospital raised the roof at the Valley Forge Casino and Hotel by hosting another well attended Cheers for CHOP fundraiser. It wasn’t just a roll of the dice that garnered more than $600,000 for helping make breathing easily become a reality for more kids. It’s also been the painstaking research, development and breakthroughs in the hospital’s department of Pulmonary Medicine (PM) that made

guests want to open their purses for the endeavor.

While the amount raised by cheering on CHOP might appear “healthy” by many standards, the reality is it needs to be. In addition to Dr. Julian Allen, who’s at the helm of the PM team, there are 25 other physicians, six doctors who are Fellows, a nursing staff of seven (each one having gone above and beyond their RN status), four nutritionists, three social workers, a psychologist and a dozen people who work in the laboratories studying healthy, or not, lung functions.

After lounging in tricked-out cabanas, or on strategically placed couches with cozy seating arrangements, guests hit the dance floor for a workout of their lung capacity to the tunes provided by jack-of-alltrade’s singer Biz Markie and White Ford’s Bronco, a band from D.C. that specializes in music from the ’90s.

Breathe more easily by finding out about CHOP’s pulmonary programs and services by visiting the website at www.chop.edu.

Event chairpersons Jon Lubert and wife Allison share their cabana with Jeanine and Darren Pulito, Jennifer and Paul Canton and Jeff and Tarz Bahasz, all of Moorestown, N.J.

Christy and Chris Querns of Exton arrive with their BFFs Eric and Renee Delviscio of Berwyn.

Bala Cynwyd residents Stephen Gregg and wife Shapley, executive director of Development Operations and Donor Relations and Stewardship at CHOP, meet up with Nancy and Jeff Fine of Bucks County.

Pulmonary specialist Samuel Goldfarb, director of heart and lung transplants, comes to Cheers for CHOP with spouse Jennifer, the director of Clinical Research at the world-renowned hospital.

Doug Bruno of Wayne samples the Asian cuisine with wife Amanda, a barrister with sponsor Morgan Lewis.

Debra Bluestein of Gladwyne and spouse Mark consider placing a bid on an Akoya pearl necklace.

Dottie Toomey of Haverford sports the jewelry while spouse Raymond cheers for CHOP with one of its signature neckties.

Jesse Serventi of Wynnewood and Phil Fogli of Wayne meet up with Trip McMahon of Bryn Mawr.

Christina Fogli of Wayne, Amy Barrickman of Ardmore and Jen Ludlow of Berwyn take time to peruse the silent auction items.

Bryn Mawr BFFs Jennifer Sala, Stephanie Ingersoll and Sharna Liggett make their entrance at the fourth annual Cheers for CHOP event.

CHOP board member Hal Augustine finds a place to enjoy watching the dance floor with Julie Sabatier.

CHOP’s Executive Vice President Monica Taylor Lotty stops to speak with Walter Logan and wife Darlene, a member of the hospital’s Foundation Board.