Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation’s 2026 Party of the Year Raises $810,000 to Support Cottage Children’s Medical Center

The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation (SBCHF) held its annual  Party of the Year on March 7, 2026, at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta. With more than 500 guests in  attendance, the black-tie event raised over $810,000 in support of Cottage Children’s Medical Center. 

The Party of the Year recognizes healthcare professionals and celebrates donors whose generosity strengthens  high‑quality pediatric care across the region. The event’s program featured remarks from Heather Hambleton and Lisa Iscovich, the Party of the Year event co-chairs; Eric Seale, Chair of the Cottage Health Board of  Directors; Scott Wester, President and CEO of Cottage Health; and Dr. Miriam Parsa, Chief Pediatric Medical  Officer for Cottage Children’s Medical Center. Guests also enjoyed an enchanting performance by State Street  Ballet. 

As the program drew to a close, guests were invited to explore The Giving Sea, a collection of meaningful ways  to support pediatric care. Each item featured in The Giving Sea represents a moment of comfort, connection, or  healing for a child and their family. Learn more at cottagehealth.org/givingsea. 

The Naomi and Ben Bollag Diamond Sponsorship of the gala helps make it possible for Cottage to provide the  highest level of care to patients and families throughout the region. This generous sponsorship and ongoing  support from Ben Bollag continues Naomi’s legacy of visionary philanthropy, generosity and compassion for our  community. 

The gala’s design, a collaboration between the Party of the Year Committee and Bon Fortune Events,  transformed the ballroom into a dazzling, immersive experience.  

A video featured the remarkable story of Athena Sunderland, who was delivered prematurely and underwent  extensive treatment in the Haselton Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Cottage Children’s Medical Center. 

After surviving the 2025 Palisades Fire, Athena’s mother, Emily, soon faced another crisis when her water broke  unexpectedly at 28 weeks, leaving her and her husband, Robert, to navigate fear and uncertainty while caring  for their three other young children.

Cottage’s expert NICU team supported not only Athena but the entire  Sunderland family—providing compassionate, comprehensive care that helped them stabilize, heal, and rebuild  their lives in Santa Barbara. View the video story at https://www.cottagehealth.org/athena. 

Building on the Cottage Tiara Ball’s 20-year legacy of lifesaving care, the 2026 Party of the Year expanded the  impact of the event to meet the growing needs of children in our community. Proceeds from the gala support  the full spectrum of pediatric care at Cottage Children’s Medical Center—from emergency services and over a  dozen outpatient specialties to the quiet comforts that surround a child’s healing.

The Party of the Year is made possible by dedicated community volunteers, including Co‑Chairs Heather  Hambleton and Lisa Iscovich, along with Gina Andrews, Katy Bazylewicz, Andrew Brown, Sharon Jordano, Allison  LaBarge, Mari McAlister, Sue Neuman, Alex Nourse, Cathy Quijano, Betsy Turner, Mary Werft, Nicole Wester,  and Margaret Wilkinson. 

2026 Party of the Year Top Sponsors include:  

Diamond Sponsor 
Ben and Naomi Bollag 

Heart Sponsors 
Chivaroli & Associates Insurance Services 
Jeff and Sharon Jordano  
Jordano’s  
Anonymous 

Emerald Sponsors 
Jerry and Geraldine Bidwell & Ronna Hitchcock Hoffman  
CenCal Health 
Dancing Tides Foundation 
Epic 
David and Anna Grotenhuis  
Tom and Deborah Loeb  
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation / Mari and Patrick McAlister 
Kay McMillan  
Lisa M. Moore  
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians 

For more information about the Party of the Year and ways to support Cottage Health, visit  cottagehealth.org/tiara-ball.