Mills Peninsula Debutante Ball 2013

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The 2013 Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball (formerly known as the Thanksgiving Cotillion and Debutante Ball) was announced today featuring ten young debutantes from the mid-Peninsula who will be presented at this year’s Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball.  The event will take place on Saturday, February 9, 2013, at the beautiful Kohl Mansion, located on the grounds of Mercy High School in Burlingame, California. The Debutante Ball, an annual event, was last held in 2012 and raised over $200,000 for the Oncology Center of Excellence at the Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center at Mills Health Center.

“The Debutante Ball has made a wonderful impact on our ability to provide excellent healthcare for our community.  This year’s event will fund upgrades to our current digital mammography with the addition of 3D imaging.  By ensuring the latest technologies, we hope to make a marked improvement on breast cancer survivorship in San Mateo County,” said John Loder, Foundation president. 

            The idea for the Debutante ball began several years ago with a group of dynamic philanthropic women discussing their various associations with the hospital and how they could help build a younger community of donors and develop a program that helps support the self-esteem of young women on the Peninsula.  “Young women are under so much pressure to be on the honor roll, to be star athletes, and to get perfect SAT scores,” noted Melanie Davis Ryan, Chairperson of the event.  “The Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball is a great way to celebrate everything these young ladies have achieved. It is also a wonderful way for them to give back to their community by supporting their local hospital.”  This year’s honorary chairs are local philanthropists, Mrs. Peggy Bort Jones and Sheila O’Connor Burns.

 “A cotillion is a creative way to make a difference,” added Committee Member Sheila McWilliams. “We celebrate the achievements of outstanding young ladies in the community and build a bridge to the Hospital Foundation.”

            “I wanted to be a part of this year’s Ball because it’s a great way to give back to my community while supporting our local hospital,” noted Debutante Kelly Alanna McFadden, whose two older sisters also were Debutantes.   Many of the debutantes went to school together and for some, they are the first in their family to take part in a cotillion.   The concept of giving is not new to these young ladies– some have a long history of volunteering and a family tradition of philanthropy.  Most girls have been involved with numerous charities including the National Charity League, Inc., Peninsula Family Service, Shelter Network, Second Harvest and of course, Mills-Peninsula hospital, among other charities. 

All ten girls also have a connection to Mills-Peninsula, some being born there or having parents or grandparents who have been treated at the hospital. Nooshin Christine Beygui, Kelsey Drew Biddle, Samantha June Bowman, Katherine Simone Egolf, Kelly Alanna McFadden, Madeline Patricia Milligan, Rebecca Ann Preston, Valerie Ariana Smith, Kayla Ilene Solomon and Shannon Kristina Toole are the ten outstanding young ladies being presented this year. 

            Mills-Peninsula Health Services, a not-for-profit corporation with approximately 2,500 employees, operates two community health facilities with a total of 403 inpatient beds. The Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame is an acute-care facility. Mills Health Center in San Mateo provides a wide range of outpatient services, including surgery, rehabilitation and diagnostics. It also is home to Mills-Peninsula's Women’s Center. Mills-Peninsula Health Services is an affiliate of Sutter Health, one of the largest not-for-profit health organizations in Northern California.  Mills Health Center, founded by prominent Californian Elisabeth Mills Reid, opened in 1908 in San Mateo with six beds. Peninsula Medical Center, developed through creation of a public hospital district, opened its doors four miles north in Burlingame in 1954.

Tickets to the Mills-Peninsula Debutante Ball are $350.00 per adult and $150 for young adults (guests under 21).  For invitation information, please contact the Foundation Office at 650-595-5990.