Honors to be presented at annual Kimball gala

LAKEWOOD- Kimball Medical Center Foundation's annual gala, "A Night on the Red Carpet," will be held on May 3 from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at Woodlake County Club, Lakewood. This year, four area residents will be honored as outstanding humanitarians who provide extraordinary leadership to Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood.

Lakewood Township Committeeman and former mayor Charles Cunliffe; physician and president of Kimball Medical Center's medical staff Dr. Omar Tamimi; and local philanthropists Sharon and James Maida will be honored as this year's humanitarian award recipients.

Cunliffe will be recognized with the H. George Buckwald Humanitarian Award. Cunliffe, currently an active member of the Township Committee, has served Lakewood in numerous capacities - as mayor, deputy mayor and police commissioner, to name just a few. He has served on the Lakewood Development Corporation, the library, planning and transportation boards, the Environmental Commission, the Americans with Disabilities Act Commission and on the board of the Lakewood Community School.

"Charles Cunliffe's dedication to the residents of Lakewood and to Kimball Medical Center is extraordinary," said Caryl Russo, vice president of the Kimball Medical Center Foundation. "Mr. Cunliffe's longstanding history of service to the Lakewood community is a testament to his tireless commitment to public service. We are honored to pay tribute to him with this award for his selfless and unwavering devotion to our residents."

Tamimi, who is the president of Kimball Medical Center's medical staff, will receive the Caring For and About People Award. Tamimi, a gastroenterologist, joined the medical staff of Kimball Medical Center in 1992 and since that time has served on numerous committees and in a variety of leadership capacities throughout the medical center.

Russo said, "Dr. Tamimi has been instrumental in helping Kimball Medical Center provide the highest quality of care to the patients we serve - both as a physician and as a leader of the medical staff. He personifies the qualities of loyalty, compassion and leadership which have helped to further the mission of Kimball Medical Center."

The Good Health Ambassador Award will be presented to James and Sharon Maida. The couple are residents of Ocean County and Lakewood business owners and they have supported numerous causes in and around the Lakewood community.

As an active member of the Kimball Medical Center Foundation, James, along with his wife, Sharon, helped fund Kimball Medical Center's FastTrak Pediatric Emergency Room so that children who are sick or in pain can receive immediate medical attention.

Through the couple's private foundation they have supported numerous other causes including Save Barnegat Bay, Mount Carmel Guild, Homefront, NJTL and others. They have helped fund higher education for disadvantaged youth, enhanced services for the blind and disabled, worked to reduce poverty and hunger in the community, and this year launched a new initiative - "Canes for Kenya."

The program provides canes and an instructional DVD (written and created by Sharon Maida) to students at a school for the blind in South Africa - offering the promise of greater independence for these sight-challenged youth.

"James and Sharon Maida have been invaluable in assisting Kimball improve health care in our community," Russo said. "Within all the spheres of their work, James and Sharon Maida have established a model of dedication and commitment toward which the members of our community might strive."

Tickets to the gala are $250 per person and are available by contacting the Kimball Medical Center Foundation at (732) 886-4438. In addition, the foundation is still looking for sponsors and auction donations.

The Kimball Medical Center Foundation was created to support Kimball Medical Center and the programs and services it provides. The foundation's accomplishments are funded through contributions from individuals, corporations and other donors for equipment, facility improvement and programs. The foundation enjoys the support of thousands of friends, especially the members of the Kimball Medical Center Auxiliary Association, whom not only raise funds for the hospital, but also serve as "ambassadors" in the community.