ILLUSTRATIONS: RAFAEL LOPEZ
A lasting legacy in immunotherapy
An artist’s rendering of The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology
Ruth Leader’s family has always felt a special bond with City of Hope, giving selflessly of their time and money for decades to support its mission. The bond was recently solidified by Leader — a 13-year City of Hope Oceanside, Calif., chapter member — who guided a $2 million bequest from the estate of her niece, Diana Chudacoff Levin, in 2006.
The generous Levin gift will benefit the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology, an advanced 108,000•square-foot translational research facility dedicated to the development of immunotherapy, a treatment that uses the immune system to fight cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
Leader, who lives in Oceanside, Calif., explained that Levin’s gift was a natural extension of their family’s pride and respect for the organization. “It was just something we did. When we thought of helping people, we thought of City of Hope, “ said Leader. “It is a very special place. “
Leader’s son, Lee, who is the executor of the estate, reflected with his mother on how best to honor Levin’s memory. By supporting the establishment of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, they believed the gift would create a legacy of scientific inquiry that will benefit patients for generations.
Within the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, scientists will explore how cancer cells evade the immune system — the body’s line of defense — while translational and clinical researchers apply those discoveries to new therapies and evaluate such therapies in clinical trials. The futuristic, five-story facility will stand across from Helford Clinical Research Hospital at City of Hope, encouraging cross-campus collaborations among the faculty. Levin’s philanthropic nature resulted in gifts for a number of worthy causes. Her other passions included a love of travel, with numerous trips to Asia and other exotic locales. Levin, a widow of her late husband Carl, lived in West Los Angeles.
From left, Diana Levin’s uncle and aunt, Seymour Prell and Ruth Leader, Lorrie Bernstein and Ocean Hills Chapter President Sheldon Bernstein display a check denoting the generous gift.
The Levin estate’s $2 million gift represents a substantial contribution toward City of Hope’s $60 million fundraising goal for the center. Some prior noteworthy gifts include $20 million from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, a $15 million gift from an anomymous donor, a $2 million bequest from longtime City of Hope supporter Norma Connick, and a $1.5 million bequest from longstanding backer Marcella S. Schwartz.
“This generous gift will advance City of Hope’s ability to create an unrivaled translational research center dedicated to bringing the promise of immunotherapy to patients everywhere, “ said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of City of Hope.