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$79,000 raised at Mardi Gras

More than $79,000 was raised for Methodist Hospital’s stroke program at Methodist Hospital Foundation’s Mardi Gras 2012 on Fat Tuesday last night, Feb. 21. The 17th annual event attended by more than 500 people honored Kenneth Wogensen, MD, as “King of Mardi Gras” for the work that he and his interdisciplinary Stroke Team did to attain the hospital’s status in August 2010 as an Approved Stroke Receiving Center.

<Story continues below the following 90-second highlight video of Mardi Gras 2012.>

Get the Flash Player to see this content.The organization could not have had a better representative than Sho Tay. A little more than a year ago, Tay, who had only weeks earlier joined the hospital’s Stroke Council, suffered a significant stroke. A couple months later he was already attending meetings of his many volunteer groups and by late winter/early spring was showing no signs of the stroke as he co-produced the Arcadia’s Best Patriotic Festival last summer. This year he is running for City Council and was enjoying last night’s Mardi Gras with his wife Sherry.


L-r: Methodist Hospital Chief Operating Officer Steven Sisto, President/CEO Dan Ausman, Mardi Gras King Dr. Kenneth Wogensen, Interim Chief Nursing Officer David Neal and Foundation President Michael Driebe


Methodist Hospital Foundationpresident Michael Driebe said proceeds from the annual event held at Sirona’s in Santa Anita Park go towards a different program at the hospital each year. It’s the second biggest annual fundraising event of the Foundation after the fall Crystal Ball.

The hospital’s designation as Approved Stroke Receiving Center means that emergency response teams will bypass hospitals without this designation to bring area stroke patients to Methodist. Strokes are the leading cause of serious long-term disability and the third-leading cause of death in the United States, with someone suffering a stroke every 40-seconds, one-quarter of which hit people under the age of 65.

Mardi Gras guests were treated to myriad choices for food and desserts provided by 24 top area restaurants. Dave and Buster’s won first place for Best Presentation, with The Derby and Opera taking second place. Guests also observed and joined in a traditional Mardi Gras parade around the tables in the open-air bar led by Arcadia High School band members playing “When the Saints Coming Marching In” and Dr. Wogensen — dressed in royal garb — and members of the Mardi Gras committee. Ernest and Gunde Posey were top “Mardi Gras” sponsors. Other top sponsors were HealthCare Partners Medical Group – Region 1 and Kindred Healthcare/RehabCare. Attendees also spent time alternating between the dance floor and placing bids at the many silent auction items.

Click the following link to look at the dozens of photos shown in the video individually in the photo album on the ArcadiasBestNews Facebook page.

— By Scott Hettrick

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