Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/899173
PATRONS | Winter 2017 23 ATRON PROFILES L ouis Graziadio vividly recalls attending a meeting as a young boy in the early 1960s, with his dad, noted philanthropist and longtime Palos Verdes Peninsula resident the late George L. Graziadio, Jr. e gathering was inside a trailer on the construction site of Torrance Memorial's soon-to- be-built new patient tower. e discussion, led that day by George, a co-founder of the Torrance Memorial Healthcare Foundation (now named the Torrance Memorial Foundation), centered on raising funds for the project that would move the hospital across town from its original Engracia Avenue location. In April of 1971, the new Torrance Memorial Hospital opened at 3330 Lomita Blvd. "My dad had a very outgoing personality and he could talk anyone into supporting something," says Louis. "e vision he described that day has pretty much come to fruition. He rounded up a lot of local businessmen to get them involved. Karl McMillen called my dad before he decided to make a significant donation to the hospital." George and his wife Reva understood the importance of strong local health care and were avid supporters of Torrance Memorial. In 1987, George would establish one of the medical center's longest-standing fundraisers, the Torrance Memorial Golf Tournament. In 2001, George and Reva made a $1 million donation for the acquisition of cutting-edge radiology equipment and to name the Graziadio Radiology Center. Even as George's health began to fail in his early 80s, the medical center continued to be one of his favorite charitable endeavors, according to Louis. "My father succumbed to cancer and our mom had a tough route too. It affected all of us and pushed us to expand our views on health and our desire to help families and support the community," Louis says, speaking for himself and his sisters Mary Lou Area and Alida Calvillo. at desire has led the siblings to work with Torrance Memorial's Health Education Department to steer the community in the direction of prevention. "My sisters, especially Alida, have been into the holistic health approach for decades. After our parents died, we wanted to continue to support the hospital," says Louis. Alida adds, "We realized integrative medicine was the new trend in health care. en my brother had an idea. Instead of just cutting a check, he said, 'Why don't we support the hospital and community through a lecture series?'" With an initial seed gift of $100,000, the family established the An Integrative Approach Father's passion for local health care leads next gen to steer the community in a preventive direction. WRITTEN BY COLLEEN FARRELL