On November 7, 2010, PACI held its Second Annual Salute to Life luncheon at the prestigious Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades. This event is intended to honor cancer survivors and recognize the struggle of those currently undergoing treatment, as well as reminding those around them of the importance of love and support during this critical time.

At this year's luncheon, PACI honored Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Professor Samuel Rahbar for their contribution to the fight against cancer and their efforts toward bettering the lives of those affected by this disease. Guests included some of the prominent individuals of our community, including the Honorable Mayor Jimmy Delshad, Ms. Barbara Lazaroff, Ms. Jacqueline Bell, Mrs. Homa Sarshar, Mr. Pouria Abbassi, CEO of Los Angeles Convention Center, and Mr. John Paley, General Manager of 670AM KIRN Radio Iran, to mention a few. The guests were surprised by the unexpected appearance of the award winning Hollywood actress, Ms. Rene Russo.

The room was filled with over 250 guests; all attending cancer survivors received a complimentary invitation. The luncheon was hosted by the beautiful and talented anchorwoman Shally Zomorodi, along with the talented comedian Max Amini who also conducted the live auction. The day concluded with a live performance by Arash Avin, accompanied by Hovik on the piano, followed by a solo performance by Raana; Arash Avin and Raana perform as part of a band, called ROUGE.

In continuance with its relentless effort to expand the Iranian-American bone marrow registry database, PACI presented Be The Match Foundation with a $12,000 check to help sponsor the registration cost future online registries, as well as live bone marrow registry drives.

This encouraging event and everybody's participation continue to give us motivation and strength to stay true to our mission to increase cancer awareness within the Persian-American community to cement the foundation for a better healthier world.

Special thanks to Ms. Akhtar Motamedi, Event Chair.