October 7, 2009 > Sunday in the park Sunday in the park Autumn Celebration to Benefit George Mark Children's House Submitted By Charbel Semaan George Mark Children's House (GMCH) will host its sixth annual Autumn Celebration event on Sunday, Oct. 11. Local community members and supporters will come together to enjoy an afternoon full of live music, food , special tours, and camaraderie, with all proceeds benefiting GMCH, a facility providing the gift of time to children and their families who face life-limiting illnesses. This year's event will begin at 4 p.m. with a performance by recording artist Nicolas Bearde and friends, as well as a silent auction and a raffle for a trip to Nice, France. The event will conclude with a full barbecue dinner and additional tours of GMCH. This event and other ongoing advancement activities are part of the organization's effort to raise more than $3 million dollars this fiscal year to meet the needs of its operating budget. "Our annual Autumn Celebration is one of our most important fundraising events of the year," said Dr. Kathy Hull, co-founder of George Mark Children's House. "We invite the local community to come help us celebrate our commitment to caring for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families." GMCH is a unique facility that serves as a model for respite, transitional, and end of life care in a life-affirming residential setting and trains medical professionals to provide comprehensive and compassionate palliative care to children - and their families - who face life-limiting illnesses. GMCH is currently the only facility of its kind in the United States. Recently, California First Lady Maria Shriver announced that co-founder and Piedmont resident Dr. Kathy Hull will receive a 2009 Minerva Award for her remarkable work at GMCH and in the broader community. Dr. Kull will be honored Oct. 27 at the 2009 Minerva Awards during the annual Women's Conference, an event featuring Caroline Kennedy, Alicia Keys, Dr. Jane Goodall, among other luminaries. Autumn Celebration Sunday, Oct. 11 4 p.m. George Mark Children's House 2121 George Mark Lane, San Leandro (510) 346-4624 www.georgemark.org $75 per person George Mark Children's House is a unique facility that provides the gift of time to children - and their families - who face life-limiting illnesses with care that is comprehensive, compassionate and cutting-edge. For more information, visit www.GeorgeMark.org.