POMONA, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/17/09 -- The casino tables were packed with guests cheering every lucky hand and roll of the dice, but students were the true winners at WesternU's annual fundraising gala "A Tribute to Caring" on Nov. 14, 2009.

A capacity crowd of 520 guests raised $130,000 for student scholarships and feted community leaders dedicated to higher education at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim.

WesternU President Philip Pumerantz, PhD, thanked everyone for attending ATC. The goal of the event is to support students as they become caring, compassionate health care providers.

"That's why we're here tonight, to make sure all of our graduates understand and appreciate the human aspect of healing," he said.

The 2009 ATC theme, "Western Expansion," reflected the unprecedented growth at WesternU. During the 2009-10 academic year, WesternU is opening four new colleges and completing construction of more than 200,000 square feet of new academic and clinical buildings, including the Patient Care Center and the Health Education Center.

Pre-dinner festivities included Casino Night. Guests played blackjack, poker, craps and roulette for the chance to win raffle prizes, including a special Rose Parade and Rose Bowl package. Guests also received copies of a book by WesternU Board of Trustees member Vince Naimoli, "Business, Baseball & Beyond."

WesternU honored Drs. Daljit and Elaine Sarkaria with the Elie Wiesel Humanism in Healing Award and G. Patricia Beckman with the Humanitarian of the Year Award. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors received special recognition for its efforts on behalf of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, which partners with WesternU's College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific as a leader in osteopathic residency education and as one of COMP's core clinical rotation sites.

The Sarkarias, of Orange, are longtime supporters of WesternU's research into Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. As part of WesternU's expansion, they recently made a major commitment to the University's new Health Education Center, and to supporting the establishment of the Dr. Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship.

G. Patricia Beckman is a dedicated advocate for science education. She is the founding president of the ARCS Foundation Inc. Orange County Chapter and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation is a national volunteer women's organization dedicated to helping outstanding U.S. graduate and undergraduate students by providing scholarship awards in the natural sciences, medicine, engineering, information and computer science and the biological sciences.

A special thank you to our Pioneer Sponsors for their generous support: the Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation, DPR Construction Inc., Good Neighbor Pharmacy-AmerisourceBergen, Prime Healthcare Services and Wells Fargo Bank.