On Wednesday, October 21, Tequilas Burbank welcomed families, neighbors, local leaders and supporters who gathered, despite the rain, for the 10th annual Cancer Awareness Fundraiser Dinner.
The campaign exceeded its $15,000 goal, bringing combined donations from the past several years to more than $76,000. This year’s fundraiser supported the Genetics and Genomics Department at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center, part of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
Tequilas owners Carlos and Patricia Rivera hosted the evening alongside Ashley Erikson, a Burbank community advocate and cancer previvor who carries a BRCA2 gene mutation, and actively speaks about her preventative surgeries for cancer risk reduction. Burbank Vice Mayor Zizette Mullins helped host and introduced each speaker, all of whom held a special place in her heart.
When Patricia Rivera took the stage, she brought the story back to October 2016, when she started the fundraiser inspired by her sister, Julie Franco. Franco lived with ovarian cancer for six years and past in 2021. Rivera has also lost both of her parents and other sisters to cancer.
Rivera partnered with Erikson more than five years ago, growing the fundraiser to recognize all cancers. She decorated the patio and restaurant in ribbons, banners, and even had a custom cancer ribbon display by Giant Flowers LA that framed both sides of the stage in big bright themed flowers.
Each year, speakers share what it was like to face a diagnosis themselves or to go through it with someone they love. The campaign marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September and Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, while making room for families affected by any form of the disease.
Nat Rubinfeld and David Ramos, two longtime contributors to Burbank civic life, both lost their lives to cancer in the past year, and were among the honorees for this year’s event. Rubinfeld’s son spoke about what his father meant to their family and to the city. Born in Los Angeles, Rubinfeld served three years in the U.S. Air Force, including time in Vietnam and the Philippines, and led Burbank’s Union Adjustment Company for four decades. He served on civic boards, gave his time to Rotary and Providence, and spent more than 25 years with the Los Angeles Police Department Reserve.
He and his wife, Alma, built a blended family of four children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Rubinfeld faced lymphatic cancer and was remembered for his generosity, integrity and devotion to family.
David Ramos’ wife Marsha spoke about the life and legacy of her husband of 45 years, who was born and raised in Burbank and past over the summer after battling pancreatic cancer. In more than 40 years with the Knights of Columbus, he helped raise money for Rancho San Antonio and Boys Town of the West. He coached and mentored young people, teaching them sportsmanship and perseverance.
During the event, attendees lined up for face painting with children choosing animals and other guests wore flowers and butterflies woven around pink ribbons for breast cancer and teal ribbons for ovarian cancer. Guests also posed with the Burbank Police Department’s pink patrol car, decorated with pink balloons and flowers from Tequilas customer Letty. The department wraps the cruiser in pink each October and brings it to community events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Staff and genetic counselors from the Disney Family Cancer Center also attended the dinner, and Marina Dutra-Clarke, a board-certified genetic counselor with a master’s degree in genetic counseling, spoke on behalf of the center’s genetic testing. Before joining Providence, she spent six years at UCLA counseling children and adults with rare diseases. She has also served as a lecturer and clinical supervisor in UCLA’s graduate genetic counseling program.
The program the fundraiser supports helps patients make sense of their personal and family cancer history. Genetic counselors assess inherited risk, discuss when testing may be appropriate and explain what the results could mean for patients and their relatives. That information can guide decisions about screening and risk reduction, and in some cases it can help inform treatment for someone who has already been diagnosed.
The comprehensive cancer center at 181 S. Buena Vista St. brings prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation all together under one roof. Services include 3D mammography, medical and surgical oncology, radiation therapy and infusions such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Patients can also access specialty programs, including care for breast, gynecologic and lung cancers, be evaluated for clinical trials, and some patients are even eligible for a blood test associated with about 50 cancer types, so they know what routine screenings to recommend.
The 10th annual fundraiser proved to be a huge success and the rain did not deter them from hitting their goal. To learn more about their campaign or to make a donation to the center, visit https://capsj.give.providence.org/fundraiser/4223533.
