On October 18^th, the St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation sponsored a successful fundraising event, “Gala Musicale,” honoring The Right Reverend William E. Swing, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California.  Bishop Swing is slated to retire next year after serving as bishop since 1980.  His is the longest and most active tenure in the national Episcopal Church. 

Bishop Swing’s work has had a particularly significant impact at St. Luke’s Hospital.  During the past 25 years, his leadership has been instrumental in keeping St. Luke’s doors open, ensuring that continuous, quality healthcare services are available to this significantly underinsured and underserved community in San Francisco’s South-of-Market district.

The event, which was held at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church on Potrero Hill, raised nearly $50,000 in honor of Bishop Swing to support programs and services at St. Luke’s. 

The event was filled with faces of St. Luke’s past, including the St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation founder Suzanne Orrick, former Board Member and long-time supporter Elizabeth Sutro, past Chief Operating Officer Ginger Ayala and former Chief Executive Officer Jack Fries.  Event Chair Suzanne Palmer, a foundation Trustee, organized and managed the gala. Honorary co-chairs Harry Hagey and Dede Wilsey also contributed to the event’s success.

Numerous members of St. Luke’s Board of Directors also supported the event, including Connie Mardikian, Dr. Jerry Franz, Dick Watts, John Williams, Jim Strong and Pat Norman, along with Trustees Tish Momirov, Dick Watts, Judy Tisdale, Maria Vicente-Puletti and the late Dr. Ernesto Puletti.  They were joined by St. Luke’s community of donors and Medical Staff, including doctors Susan Bailey, Edward Kersh, Gina Lopez, Marc Snyder, Laura Norrell and Lawrence Wanetick. The foundation also received the support of St. Luke’s new partner, California Pacific Medical Center and the California Pacific Medical Center Foundation, and parent corporation, Sutter Health.

Past Chair of the St. Luke’s Hospital Board of Directors, Philip Pillsbury, served as master of ceremonies for the evening, leading the toasts to Bishop Swing during dinner. Various speakers praised Bishop Swing’s enduring support of St. Luke’s, his outstanding leadership and the way in which he has touched the lives of so many in our community. The evening concluded with a fantastic musical performance by the Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble Chanticleer.

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