Thursday, October 7, 2010

O’Malleys Provide Martin Memorial Foundation Mum Ball with $500,000 Gift

Thomas and Mary Alice O’Malley are redefining what it means to be good hosts.

The O’Malleys, Sailfish Point residents who are hosting the 2010 Martin Memorial Foundation Chrysanthemum Ball at their home, will provide a gift of $500,000 to help match funds raised at the 16th annual event. The Chrysanthemum Ball is expected to bring in more than $800,000 and that money, combined with the O’Malleys’ gift, will be used toward the purchase of a technologically advanced interventional radiology suite.

In order to fully fund the $1.7 million interventional radiology suite, the Martin Memorial Foundation is seeking others to join the O’Malleys and make gifts that will help reach that financial target.

“Having access to health care is critical to the continued well being of a community,” said Mary Alice O’Malley, a registered nurse. “For 16 years the Chrysanthemum Ball has
helped Martin Memorial fulfill its mission of providing high-quality care. We are excited to help build on that legacy.”

Mary Alice O’Malley has served on the boards of several medical and educational organizations and is presently a trustee of the Children’s National Research Center in Washington, D.C. Thomas O’Malley is chairman of Petroplus Holdings A.G., Europe’s largest independent oil refiner and wholesaler, and also serves as chairman of PBF Investments LLC, a U.S. oil refining entity.

Prior to that, Thomas O’Malley was chairman of Premcor, a domestic oil refiner and Fortune 250 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Before joining Premcor, he was chairman and CEO of Tosco Corporation, which was the largest independent oil refiner and marketer of oil products in the United States. He is also a past vice chairman of Salomon Brothers Inc.

Thomas O’Malley has served on the boards of the National Petroleum Council; the Listed Company Advisory Board of the New York Stock Exchange; Lowe’s Companies; PetSmart Inc.; and Phillips Petroleum. He is chairman of the board of trustees of Manhattan College, his alma mater. The O’Malleys have four grown children and four grandchildren.

“The generosity shown by the O’Malleys is an extraordinary example of how philanthropy makes it possible for Martin Memorial to provide exceptional care for the Treasure Coast,” said Arthur M. “Rusty” Brink Jr., vice president and chief philanthropic officer for Martin Memorial. “Their gift will play a significant role in helping improve the quality of health for our community.”

The new digital interventional suite brings to Martin Memorial a new level of diagnostic power. Sharper technology allows more detailed images while minimizing the amount of radiation to each patient. Interventional radiology suites are used for procedures such as:

• Angioplasty (repairing blood vessels using a balloon-tipped catheter and vascular stents)
• Thrombectomy and thrombolysis (blood clot removal and dissolving)
• Embolization (stopping blood flow to selected tumors)
• Radiofrequency ablation (removing tumors with high-energy radio waves)

Since its inception, the Chrysanthemum Ball has raised nearly $9.5 million. In that time the event has earned a reputation for providing high-quality entertainment, fine cuisine and an energetic atmosphere. Its committee of more than 30 volunteers have consistently created an event that is engaging to those who attend, but also integrally important to Martin Memorial’s mission of providing health care access to the community.

Past Chrysanthemum Balls raised funds for sophisticated technologies such as a PET/CT scanner, two cardiac catheterization labs, a 64-slice CT scanner, a digital mammography unit and equipment enhancements for nurses at the bedside. An endowment was also created that will fund patient care projects in the future as well.

For more information about the Chrysanthemum Ball or the Martin Memorial Foundation, please visit GIVEmmhs.org.

No comments: