Royal High Tea & Garden Tour at Lona Ridge Fundraiser Raises $25,000 to support Maui Cancer Wellness Retreat

Dr. Bridget Bongaard lead a three-day educational and inspirational weekend of rejuvenation, transformation, and hope for cancer survivors on September 20-22 at the Napili Kai Resort.

High tea guests (pictured from left): (top row) Suzanne George, Mei Li Coon, Jenny Coon, Paula Heiskell; (bottom row) Cindy Sawyer, Nutie Keogh, Lynn Coon, Sonia Phillips.

High tea guests (pictured from left): (top row) Shelley Riebling, Mary Anne Acker, Hanka Symborksi; (bottom row) Kathy Deknis, Diane Green Kathi Mukai, Katherine Paet.

High tea guests (pictured from left): (top row) Tammy Kurasaki, Sudha Scott, Laura Rosenthal, Shareen Sekoyta; (bottom row) Anne Keyser, Carolyn Israelite, Lauren Hill, Judy Gray.

Hostess with the mostess (pictured from left): Dr. Bridget Bongaard, Leona Wilson, Anna Mayeda

Dean Wong, master of ceremony, came dressed to impress.

High tea guests (pictured from left): (top row) Susie Davis, Mary Albitz, John Cole, Cathie Ong-Herrera, Karen Miller; (bottom row) Jeannette Hensel, Heather Mueller, Ed Herrera.

High tea guests (pictured from left): Toni Rojas, Rhonda Barut, Kauwela Bisquera, Kay Leeson, Jamie Adams

Pictured from left: High event organizers, Leanne Pletcher (far left) and Anna Mayeda (far right) with Lona Ridge owner Leona Wilson (middle).

(Pictured from left): Cancer survivor speaker Dr. Alice Svoboda with Dr. Bridget Bongaard.

Leona Wilson with Bev Gannon who catered the elegant high tea, a benefit for MCWR.

Dr. Bill Willard volunteered to serve mimosas

(Pictured from left) Marseu Simpson and Leona Wilson

(Pictured from left) Lauren Akitake, Cara Cabanting, and Anna Mayeda.

High tea guests (pictured from left): Kim Sloan, John Harrison, Gretchen "Gigi" Voxland, Daniel Schiesser, Doris Lang, Kim Morris, Randy Antonio.

High tea guests (pictured from left): Dr. Ted Dodson, Judy Dodson and Dr. Zachary Dodson.

Richard Hill, artist and MCWR participant, did onsite plein-air painting during the high tea fundraiser.

The elegant high tea at Lona Ridge raised $25,000 to help fund thirty scholarships for cancer survivors to attend this year’s retreat at Napili Kai Resort, September 20-22.

WAILUKU, HI – Maui Cancer Wellness Retreats (MCWR) presented their first annual Royal High Tea fundraiser on April 28, 2019.  $25,000 was raised to help fund thirty scholarships for cancer survivors to attend this year’s retreat at Napili Kai Resort, September 20-22, 2019.

With 90 guests in attendance, the event featured a tour of Lona Ridge; a sumptuous menu prepared by Chef Bev Gannon; a silent and live auction; entertainment by harpist, Irene Ryding and violinist, Joan Padgett; with master of ceremony, Dean Wong.  Speakers included Dr. Bridget Bongaard, a Board-certified Internist with a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and co-founder of MCWR, and past Maui Cancer Wellness Retreat participant and cancer survivor, Dr. Alice Svoboda, who spoke about her experiences as an attendee of last year’s retreat. Leona Wilson, owner of West Maui Mountains’ beauty, Lona Ridge Estate, donated the use of the venue for this event.

The mission of Maui Cancer Wellness Retreats is "To help cancer survivors transform their lives to a new and better level of health and wellness" with evidence-based tools and cutting-edge learning on the healing process.  The three-day weekend retreat will allow participants to fully engage with their own wellness and healing through this educational and inspirational weekend of "Rejuvenation, Transformation, and Hope."

The Maui Cancer Wellness Retreats is a nonprofit organization directed by Dr. Bongaard.  Along with a team of medical and integrative experts, Dr. Bongaard teaches integrative oncology and experiential classes over the three-day retreat.

Dr. Bongaard states that, “MCWR gives individuals tools to restore control in their life and offers time to process the changes they have undergone. The September retreat will focus on the means to get the body and spirit strengthened for a better future outcome.”  All information used has a scientific basic and some of the topics will include:

• Nutrition as it relates to cancer wellness

• Prevention of illness

• Creation of resilience and hardiness for bettering the quality of life

• Consciousness of personal patterns and how to create positive change

• Epigenetics - how cancer gene expression can be changed or regulated

• Psycho-immunobiology – how our emotions/thoughts influence our immune system.

Maui Cancer Wellness Retreat’s 501 (c)(3) non-profit entity is Tri-Isle Resource Conservation Development, which has served Maui County for over 20 years.   

 For more information and inquiries to apply for the September Maui Cancer Wellness Retreat or to make a donation, please email: MauiCancerWellnessRetreats@gmail.com, or visit MauiCancerWellnessRetreats.org.  Donations will be tax deductible.

 
Photo captions for all shots: Bruce Kurosaki