MWU Gala Celebrates Service and the Community

Last Saturday evening, MWU held its annual Bright Lights, Shining Stars Gala at our Glendale Campus. More than 500 guests attended to celebrate the community and our commitment to service.

Now in its tenth year, this black-tie event is designed as an opportunity for MWU to thank the City of Glendale and our business, health care, and community partners for their support of our students. The evening is held under the twinkling lights of Sahuaro patio overlooking the Tsang pond. A silent auction is held during the reception, followed by a delicious dinner, the award program, and then dancing to a 10-piece swing band.

Photo: The beautiful setting in front of Sahuaro Hall

Photo: Dr. and Mrs. Page bid at the silent auction.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of several awards that all focus on service. The COMET Award (Community Outreach: Motivating Excellence for Tomorrow) was presented by Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs and MWU President Dr. Kathleen Goeppinger to Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill. While having a local sports team owner at the event was great, we were really pleased to be able to recognize him for his professional and personal commitment to the community. Mr. Bidwill was instrumental in bringing the Cardinals to Glendale and in being a true presence in the city. He is currently the chair of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and was recently honored by the Pop Warner footbal program as one of their top volunteers. He is also actively involved in the "Flying Samaritans," a team of pilots and health providers who fly supplies and provide services to communities in need of care. Just a few hours before the event, he had returned from a trip to Mexico, where he had flown supplies for a town in Mexico that had been destroyed by a recent hurricane. As he received the award, it was clear that he was humbled by the honor, and he is truly a deserving recipient.

Photo: Mayor Scruggs, Michael Bidwill, and Dr. Goeppinger

Photo: Dr. Parrack, Kristin, and her mom

Equally impressive was our Shooting Star recipient, Kristin Parrack. Kristin started a nonprofit organization in Arizona, GIFT (Growth Improvement for Female Teens), to assist at-risk female youth. She has worked to improve the lives of young women and girls from the corrections systems, in local high schools, and others in need. She is currently also a teacher at a local school and the daughter of AZCOM's Chair of Surgery, Dr. David Parrack. She is truly a great example of someone who saw a need in our community and has worked to make life better for others.

Photo: Spirit of Service Scholarship winners

The real "winners" of the evening were the MWU students. All of the proceeds from this fundraiser go directly to support student scholarships. Nine of our students (three from each college) were awarded Spirit of Service Scholarships to recognize their work in the community. Omar Chowdhry, Zackary Gangwer, and Sapna Sawhney received the top award for their college, and they each had the opportunity to provide a few remarks for the audience. Omar spoke about how he had been briefly homeless as a child, but with the love and support of his mother, he was able to attend medical school and is now committed to helping others. Sapna talked about her work with the diabetes walk on campus and outreach to the community in her role as a pharmacy student. Zachary gave a moving shout-out to his wife, and spoke about the need to embrace opportunities and then to take action. All of these students truly reflected the value that MWU places on service and they are wonderful representatives of our University.

Thank you to all the sponsors and supporters of our Bright Lights, Shining Stars Gala, particularly our Presenting Diamond Sponsor, Chanen Construction. The contributions to this event have allowed us to give $100,000 in scholarships to our students over the past four years, thus ensuring that the next generation of health providers in Arizona will place a high value on service to the community.