60 Years of Scholarships

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, hosted lunch at the Hilton for 250 guests to recognize donor and volunteers, after cancelling two previous lunch events in response to the pandemic.

Featured speakers included Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons, an infectious disease physician and past foundation recipient, and Arturo “Cheech” Raygoza, a current recipient and student at UC Berkeley.

Board chair Matt Rowe also addressed the gathered throng, as did foundation president and CEO Barbara Robertson.

Raygoza, an aspiring academic, shared his experience overcoming poverty, addiction, and gang life to excel academically at Allan Hancock College.

“If you stop giving someone a second chance, they stop having one,” he said. “Because of your generous donations, I’ve been given a second chance!”

In May, the foundation awarded scholarships totaling $7.7 million to 2,146 students throughout Santa Barbara County.

Battling Disease

Carpinteria actor Ashton Kutcher has spoken up about his battle with a rare autoimmune disease, talking about it for the first time.

Kutcher, 44, recounts how one day he was stricken with the disease which saw the star lose his vision and hearing, as well as his ability to walk.

The vasculitis, which fortunately cleared up two years ago, is an inflammation of blood vessels that can cause organ and tissue damage.

It is rare, with less than 200,000 U.S. cases a year, but can prove fatal.

“I woke up one day, was having vision issues and could hardly see,” he recollected on a Podcast with Dr. David Agus, a leading medical authority.

A Lifetime of Achievements

Montecito actor Jeff Bridges will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles next month.

It comes after the 73-year-old Oscar winner battled cancer.

Jeff is one of Hollywood’s most successful actors and a seven-time Academy Award nominee, as well as a singer and producer.

Dr. Mitchell Awarded

Dr. Katrina Mitchell is the recipient of the Lois Phillips Founder’s Award from the Association of Women in Communications – Santa Barbara Chapter – in recognition of her passionate and outspoken advocacy for women’s health.

Mitchell, a breast surgeon, lactation consultant, and perinatal mental health provider at Sansum Clinic and the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, wrote and published The Physician Guide to Breastfeeding during the pandemic to address breastfeeding challenges and complications resulting from isolation, restricted contact with medical professionals, and incorrect advice from unreliable sources.

In the months since the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Mitchell has been a vocal advocate for women’s dignity, bodily autonomy, and access to health care as a fundamental human right.

Sightings

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis at the Ritz Carlton Bacara… Singer Pink checking out the Paseo Nuevo… Oprah’s beau Stedman Graham picking up his New York Times at Pierre Lafond.

Pip! Pip! Be safe, wear a mask when necessary, and get vaccinated.