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…