2025 Charley Awards
Every year the CHOC Foundation honors up to eight donors who have made a lasting impact on CHOC. These supporters are celebrated at our annual Charley Awards, where they are bestowed with our highest honor, the Charley Award, named after our prominent donor Charles Hester. Charley began his service at CHOC as a Hospital Board Member in 1976 and chaired the Board from 1985-1986 and again from 1990-1994. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of CHOC Mission.
The Charley Awards honor individuals and organizations who exemplify Mr. Hester’s ideals of philanthropy and volunteerism in service to CHOC and CHOC Mission. Each recipient has set high standards for the generous contribution of time, talent and philanthropy that have nurtured CHOC since its founding in 1964.
2025 Charley Award Honorees
Outstanding Philanthropist
Tsao Family Foundation
Since 2018, the Tsao Family Foundation has shown an unparalleled commitment to catalyzing deeper pediatric care for CHOC’s most vital services, with gifts that helped build the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center, open 17 WellSpaces—on-campus rooms filled with wellness resources for Orange County students—and expand resources at CHOC’s mental health and wellness department. Among their trailblazing philanthropic work, the family’s personal experience seeking after-hours pediatric urgent care inspired them to make another life-changing gift in 2024 to open CHOC’s urgent care location in Irvine in September 2025. As CHOC grateful mothers, Yeshin Tsao has served on the CHOC Gala Committee and Yvonne Tsao has served on the CHOC Let’s Talk Mental Health Luncheon Committee. While moving other donors to action, they have also championed CHOC’s Fetal Care Center and other signature events including CHOC Walk in the Park. As changemakers in pediatric health and education, the Tsao Family Foundation is a treasured CHOC advocate.
Kelly Lee Tarantello Outstanding Volunteer
Ron Ainsworth
Touched by the care CHOC provided to his late stepdaughter, Kelly—in whose honor this award is named— Ron Ainsworth has been passionately involved with CHOC for over three decades. He has volunteered at CHOC in several areas, including CHOC’s annual Halloween celebration and our Julia and George Argyros Emergency Department and performing as Santa each holiday season. Ron also volunteers at the Kelly Lee Tarantello Gift Shop with his wife, Delphine. As a philanthropist, he has supported the CHOC Gala, CHOC Walk and CHOC Let’s Talk Mental Health Luncheon and donated to and named The Josie Y.S. Lee Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The Delphine Lee & Ron Ainsworth Cardiac Family Emergency Endowment assists families in our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and the Heart Institute with essential needs, with Ron and Delphine also providing gifts to CVICU families during the holidays. With humility, Ron embodies everything Kelly lived and breathed—kindness, compassion, and belonging for all.
Nick G. Anas, MD Outstanding Medical Staff Member
Terrie Inder, MBChB, M.D.
With a clinical career spanning more than 20 years, Dr. Terrie Inder joined CHOC in 2022 having long established herself as a dual-trained neonatologist and child neurologist. She serves as the director of the Center for Neonatal Research, exemplifying CHOC’s highest standards of care. A global leader in newborn brain research, she provides expert clinical service in CHOC’s neonatal intensive care unit, focusing on critically ill premature and full-term infants, particularly those with neurological conditions. Dr. Inder has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding and preventing brain injury in high-risk newborns through more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, including a landmark review in the New England Journal of Medicine. Beyond her clinical and research excellence, Dr. Inder actively supports community initiatives like CHOC Walk in the Park and the Glass Slipper Guild Gala, inspiring donor engagement and advancing comprehensive newborn care. Honored with the 2025 Newborn Brain Society Honorary Fellow Award, her lifelong dedication continues to change the lives of patients, families, and neonatal professionals worldwide.
Outstanding Board Member
Doug McCombs
Since joining both the CHOC Orange and CHOC at Mission Hospital Boards in 2007, Doug McCombs has shown consistent, deep dedication to our mission by strengthening CHOC at every level. In several critical roles including Chair of the Executive, Audit and Compliance Committee, as well as Governance and Nominating Committee, Doug brought transparency and accountability. As the chair of the hospital and parent Boards of Directors since 2021, Doug’s vision and steady hand shaped the future of our organization during a pivotal time. As a key champion of the merger, Doug committed hundreds of hours to prepare CHOC’s Board of Directors, outlining strategy and focusing on the long-term value and mission alignment of this historic milestone. Today, Doug serves as Vice Chair of the Rady Children’s Parent Company Health Board. By exemplifying the highest standards of board service, Doug’s legacy is not only one of past achievement but of continued service and forward momentum.
Outstanding Legacy
Bill Thompson
Although Bill Thompson recently partnered with CHOC back in March 2024, the impact of his philanthropy will be felt forever. After his initial visit to CHOC left a strong impression, Bill funded CHOC’s rapid whole genome sequencing project with a generous $1.3 million gift, followed by a $3.14 million gift in support of the CAR-T immunotherapy program several months later—with both programs poised to propel CHOC toward discovering new treatments, improving clinical outcomes and changing countless lives for the better. Bill sadly passed away shortly afterward, but not before creating a legacy of advancing CHOC’s clinical care. Through his investment, Bill will improve the lives of children and families he will never meet—yet the hope and impact his philanthropy will have on the future of childhood will endure.
Outstanding Corporation
Spirit Halloween
As a longstanding corporate partner, Spirit Halloween has supported CHOC for over a decade, raising a total of $1.6 million toward our Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department. Between the months of August and October each year, Spirit Halloween locations raise funds for CHOC through donations made during customer checkout. These gifts have benefited child life initiatives including creative arts, pet therapy, Seacrest Studios programming content, volunteer coordinator positions, and sibling and family support. Additionally, Spirit Halloween donates costumes to CHOC patients and hosts an annual costume event. By focusing their immense generosity on our child life department—which is solely supported by philanthropy—Spirit Halloween enriches every CHOC family’s visit by helping restore the playful, expressive, and healing experiences of childhood to our patients.
Outstanding Newcomer
Motorhome Madness
The Motorhome Madness event at the Orange County Fair has become a powerful example of community-driven philanthropy at its finest. This “out-of-the-box” event highlights the efforts of fire departments and law enforcement agencies across Orange County to support CHOC and engage the communities they serve. Motorhome Madness is a family-friendly demolition derby, showcasing the dedication of first responders and inspiring widespread support of CHOC among public safety professionals and event attendees. Event proceeds have benefited vital CHOC programs including child life, oncology, mental health, diabetes, autism and neurodevelopment, and greatest needs, making a tangible impact on children with a wide variety of diagnoses. With the continued commitment of our fire, rescue, and law enforcement partners, Motorhome Madness will improve the health and well-being of CHOC patients and families for years to come.
