Dizz’s As Is Fundraiser Still Brings Out the Funny and the Funds

MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center physicians and hospital executives serve as wait staff for this fundraiser. This year included Saddleback Medical Center CEO Marcia Manker (front row, second from right), and COO Ryan Olsen (back row, far right). Ron Naglie, MD, (front left) medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, is the event chair.

It’s hard to believe that a little fundraiser at a local restaurant could keep its momentum going for 20 consecutive years. Just like the past 19 years, more than 70 physicians and supporters affiliated with The Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Medical Center flocked to Dizz’s As Is in Laguna Beach on Nov. 5, 2018, for a special night they’ve come to really love.

The 2018 event raised more than $13,000 (net) to benefit The Women’s Hospital at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. Over the past 20 years, more than $300,000 has been raised from the annual event to help fund items and programs such as infant safety CPR classes, neonatal warmer units, neonatal biliblankets, and diaries for parents whose babies are in the NICU, to name a few.

While the themed attire has ranged from Hawaiian to international, for the past three years guests have come wearing funny t-shirts, a crowd favorite. What also makes the event a favorite is that all of the wait staff are physicians. The guests love seeing doctors out of their scrubs, passing out appetizers, taking drink and dinner orders, and even bussing tables. This year, the wait staff even included hospital executives, CEO Marcia Manker and COO Ryan Olsen.

“It’s truly remarkable this event has continued for 20 years,” said Cecilia Belew, president of Saddleback Medical Center Foundation. “It’s a testament to the close-knit family at our hospital; they don’t often see each other in this fun setting. Plus, they love supporting a cause they are really connected to.”

The annual event was the brainchild of Dizz’s As Is proprietors, the Pitz family, whose babies were all born at Saddleback Medical Center; some were cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit. The family wanted to create a way to thank the staff for their amazing care, and the concept of hosting a fundraiser at their restaurant was born. It’s been going strong ever since.

The evening is always capped off by a live auction emceed by Steve Geidt, a Saddleback Medical Center Foundation board member. Geidt has kept the guests in stitches during this portion of the night every year, pitting pediatricians against OB/GYNs to get the highest bid. Auction baskets are generously donated by the various Foundation supporters, physicians, and medical groups who are usually attending and bidding on other baskets.

“This year’s event seems extra special since it’s not just our 20th year, but also the 30-year anniversary of The Women’s Hospital,” said Ron Naglie, M.D., medical director of the NICU. “We’ve come a long way, as we are close to delivering our 80,000th baby at the hospital.”

The guests voted for a new theme for next year’s event, which we hope will be the beginning of another 20 years of making great memories for a great cause.