CHOC FOLLIES X: "FANTOM OF THE FOLLIES"– A FARCICAL FROLIC THROUGH THE CLASSIC TALE!" RAISES CLOSE TO $600,000 FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF ORANGE COUNTY
July 19, 2006

CHOC Follies X: "FANTOM OF THE FOLLIES – A Farcical Frolic Through The Classic Tale!" raised close to $600,000 for Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and CHOC at Mission, the largest amount ever raised by a Follies performance.

Celebrating its 10th year, this original musical hit the stage at The Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, the first year at this venue, for enthusiastic audiences in May. The show, presented by Gerda and Dean Koontz, was seen by more than 4,000 CHOC supporters! Stage and film star, Lorna Luft, added a flare to the show by joining the talented cast of more than 100 of Orange County’s business, civic and society leaders.

Proceeds from the 10th anniversary Follies will support the transformation of CHOC’s sixth floor into a state-of-the-art, 30-bed Pediatric/Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, which will feature a family-centered environment that encourages interaction between parents and caregivers. This new unit, slated for completion in 2007, will rival the best in the world and will increase CHOC’s capacity to care for Orange County’s most critically ill children.

CHOC Follies has earned a reputation as one of Orange County’s most original and successful charity events. Under the guidance of professional director John Vaughan, the annual show has now netted close to $3 million, benefiting CHOC and CHOC at Mission.

About CHOC Children's: Named one of the best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report (2012-2013), CHOC Children's is exclusively committed to the health and well-being of children through clinical expertise, advocacy, outreach and research that brings advanced treatment to pediatric patients. Affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, CHOC’s regional healthcare network includes two state-of-the-art hospitals in Orange and Mission Viejo, several primary and specialty care clinics, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence - The CHOC Children’s Heart, Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Hyundai Cancer Institutes.

CHOC earned the Gold Level CAPE Award from the California Council of Excellence, the only children’s hospital in California to ever earn this distinction, and was awarded Magnet designation, the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence.  Recognized for extraordinary commitment to high-quality critical care standards, CHOC’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is the first in the United States to earn the Pediatric Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.

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Media Contact:
Abigail Knief, Public Relations Coordinator
phone: (714) 532-8812
email: aknief@choc.org