November 2024 Newsletter

Our Third Annual Hearts to Hearts Valentine’s Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara.

Last year we sold out three weeks early, so we are thrilled to announce that this year’s event will be held at a larger venue! We can’t wait to share the impact on our families with the help of this amazing community. And we are also grateful to Catherine Remak radio personality for KLITE morning show as our Master of Ceremonies this year!

We expect to sell out again this year – make sure you click the button below as we expect to sell out again this year.

Sponsorships, Underwriting Opportunities and Tickets are on sale now! Visit our website to learn more about our biggest annual fundraiser we hold to support critically ill children and their families.

Thank you to those sponsors who have committed early!

Amie Parrish, Morgan Stanley

Village Properties

Adriana Mezic, AIMdyn

Allstate Insurance, Alain J Welty, CFP

David Edelman Consulting

Heather Sherman, PT, DPT, PCS

Lucy Kohansamad

Mark & DeeDee Nussmeier

The Sitolini Family

Tim & Louise Casey

If you have an item to donate for our silent auction,

contact Brigitte@heartsaligned.org or (805) 453-7484.

Baby Leilani has spent her entire three months of life in the NICU at UCLA, where she remains in critical condition. Born with a rare congenital diaphragmatic hernia, Leilani’s abdominal organs shifted into her chest through a hole in her diaphragm. Compounding her challenges, she also has a complex congenital heart defect.

Just three weeks after birth, Leilani underwent her first surgery to address the hernia, and she is now facing another crucial heart surgery scheduled for this month.

Her parents have been making the long, frequent trips from their home in North Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles to be by her side, all while caring for their three other children. The travel expenses have added a significant financial burden. While Leilani’s mom stays at UCLA, she often sacrifices meals to make their budget stretch.

Hearts Aligned has helped the family pay their rent, along with providing gas and grocery cards for traveling to the hospital.

Your gifts provide essential support to families like Leilani’s, making a real difference in their lives. Please join us in helping these families by donating today.

Shannon Garton joined Hearts Aligned as a founding board member in 2021 and has served as the Board Treasurer since its inception.

“When Vivian asked me to join Hearts Aligned, I was inspired to help families in Santa Barbara County with critically ill children. It’s important to give back to the community and I was inspired by Vivian’s vision. There wasn’t an organization that filled this need and I am honored to be involved from the ground up to make it happen.“

Her journey with nonprofits began in 1987, at the age of nine, when she co-founded Tree Musketeers, a youth environmental group recognized by President Ronald Reagan with the President’s Environmental Youth Award. Shannon studied Business at USC and has nearly 20 years of experience in Finance at UCSB, where she oversees Gift and Endowment Funds and manages Federal, State, and Private Research Grants and Contracts.

Fun fact: Shannon is an identical twin and grew up in beautiful South Lake Tahoe. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts and sporting events. Since 2004, she has called the Santa Barbara/Goleta area home. Shannon has a daughter attending the University of Utah and a son at Dos Pueblos High School.

Her volunteer experience includes roles as a Girl Scout Troop Leader and Treasurer, volunteering with Goleta Valley Girls Softball, One805, the Foodbank, and local beach cleanups. Her previous professional experience includes work as a Buyer for Robinson’s May Corporate and in Sales for News Corporation.