When Fremont resident Marge T. went to the doctor with a cough that wouldn’t go away, the 65-year-old nonsmoker wasn’t expecting a cancer diagnosis. An X-ray revealed a small nodule in her lung. Washington Health thoracic surgeon Jennifer O. Chan, MD, used the hospital’s recently acquired Ion robotic bronchoscopy system to obtain a biopsy.
It was stage 1 lung cancer.
The story of how that technology arrived at Washington Health leads back to one of Fremont’s longest-running social events: a hospital fundraiser that began 40 years ago with three volunteers and a trip to San Francisco.
Since 1986, Washington Health Foundation’s Top Hat Gala has raised more than $8 million to support programs and services, as well as medical equipment, including robotic technology such as the Ion and da Vinci systems now being used to diagnose and treat patients like Marge.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, as many as 700 people are expected to gather at Washington Health for the 40th Annual Top Hat Gala. Organizers hope to raise $2 million to help purchase a neurosurgical robotic platform for advanced spine and cranial procedures.
“Philanthropy is such a key player in community health care,” emphasized Washington Health Foundation Executive Director Sarah G. Gemski. “It can do exceptional things.”
From dinner dance to $8 million
Long before robotic surgery entered the picture, three volunteers were looking for a way to make a hospital fundraiser something special.
Fran Stone began volunteering at Washington Hospital in 1978 after undergoing serious back surgery. The former teacher eventually became president of the Washington Hospital Service League, which made a $35,000 gift to help establish Washington Health Foundation.
In 1986, Stone and fellow volunteers Shirley Silva and Janet Avila decided their dinner dance needed something bigger. They drove to San Francisco’s Mark Hopkins Hotel, where they arranged cocktails at the Top of the Mark followed by dinner and dancing in the Peacock Court. The setting inspired a Fred Astaire-and-Ginger Rogers theme and a name: Top Hat.
“We were really very proud of what we did,” Stone said.
Those early galas attracted roughly 200 to 250 people. This year, organizers hope to welcome 700 guests, with nearly 50 sponsors, including longtime Washington Health supporter Fremont Bank. Speaking previously about the bank’s support of the UCSF - Washington Cancer Center, Executive Vice President Brian Hughes called having advanced care close to home “truly special and incredibly important.”
When philanthropy becomes patient care
For Marge, that philanthropy became personal. Ion’s flexible robotic catheter allows physicians to reach small, hard-to-access lung nodules that previously could be difficult to biopsy. Dr. Chan said the technology can help physicians diagnose lung cancer earlier and better target tumors during surgery, allowing them to preserve more healthy lung tissue.
“For our patients, that means hope, access, and lifesaving lung cancer care right in their community,” she added.
Marge subsequently underwent robotic surgery to remove the cancerous nodule using the da Vinci Surgical System, another technology made possible with philanthropic support. She returned home after just two days.
“As long as I’m standing, I have a chance,” affirmed Marge.
Her story illustrates the ripple effect of philanthropy. Money raised during one evening can ultimately translate into technology and services available throughout the community.
The next chapter of care
This year’s $2 million goal is focused on a neurosurgical robotic platform designed to support surgeons performing complex spine and cranial procedures.
“We serve such a diverse community, and giving our patients the opportunity to access this level of care is critical,” Gemski added. “Bringing advanced technology to the Tri-City Area is especially important as Washington Health expands its trauma capabilities.”
The Ruby Celebration will also pay homage to Top Hat’s glamorous beginnings. The Old Hollywood-inspired evening will feature an outdoor garden reception, grand tent reveal, dinner, entertainment, an auction and dancing.
Forty years after that first trip across the Bay, Fran Stone is still actively volunteering. She has watched Fremont change, Washington Health grow and a fundraiser that once attracted a couple hundred people become an event capable of raising millions. But she doesn’t measure those decades by the hours she has given. “I got a lot more back from it than I gave,” Stone concluded.
40th Annual Top Hat Gala: The Ruby Celebration
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Washington West, 2500 Mowry Ave., Fremont
VIP reception: 5:30 p.m.; general reception: 6 p.m.; dinner and program: 7 p.m.
To purchase tickets or support through sponsorship visit https://www.trellis.org/tophat.