Members of the La Cañada Guild of the Orthopaedic Institute for Children attended the OIC gala held at Paramount Studios on June 11. At the gala it was announced that a $15 million gift – the largest gift in the organization’s 112-year history – was presented to OIC from Renee and Meyer Luskin. The funds were dedicated to help assure that children with a musculoskeletal condition or injury have the opportunity to grow well and play well. The Luskins support OIC’s commitment to patient care, scientific research and education. In recognition and gratitude, OIC has been renamed the Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children.

Members from the La Cañada Guild who attended the gala were co-presidents Arlene Massimino and Caryl Pettit along with Jeanne Long, Joanne and Ron Ploszaj, Joan Cleven, Ginney Pruitt, Alicia Thompson, DeeDee Nuanes and her husband, Marie Baker, and Danette and Kerry Erickson.

“Meyer and Renee Luskin are two of Los Angeles’ most generous philanthropists who have long supported our mission and our belief that every child should have the opportunity to grow well and play well,” said OIC CEO Anthony Scaduto, MD. “Through the years OIC has benefited greatly from the generosity and wisdom of this extraordinary couple. This transformational gift will have a perpetual impact on our mission and on all those who cross our threshold for generations to come.”

Meyer Luskin has been closely involved with OIC for nearly two decades and is a former chair of its board of directors. As a young child in the Depression, he grew up in New York City’s Lower East Side and Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights. He experienced first-hand the need for free healthcare services and that memory became a passion to make sure that quality healthcare is accessible for all children.

“Over the past decade the transformation of OIC has been remarkable,” said Meyer Luskin. “More kids have been treated, more research has been published and more medical students are being trained, all while reducing our debt and recruiting exceptional medical professionals.”