The Guilds Enter a New Era
For more than 75 years, the Guilds of Valley Children’s have been an enduring force behind the hospital’s mission, whose shared purpose is ensuring children throughout the Central Valley receive the highest level of care.
Since their beginning, the Guilds have stayed true to their purpose: raising financial and community support for Valley Children’s.
In 2025, this legacy reached a defining milestone as the Guilds started a new commitment to establish f their sixth and seventh endowments: a $10 million Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare ECMO Endowment and a $2 million Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare Endowment.
This new commitment of $12 million together with their five completely fulfilled endowments total $26 million. These five are:
- Guilds Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Center Endowment
- Guilds Willson Heart Center Endowment
- Guilds Child Life Endowment
- Guilds Spiritual Care Endowment
- Guilds Center for Community Health Endowment
In FY2025, these five endowments listed (above) distributed $943,876 – with cumulative distributions surpassing $6 million – funding critical programs that serve patients, families and staff, demonstrating the power of philanthropy designed to endure.
Today, these investments reflect a clear message: the Guilds are not just continuing a tradition, they are growing a legacy that will positively impact children and families for generations to come.
That commitment has been unwavering since the very beginning. In 1949, Founding Mother Patty Randall wrote of a vision to build a “hospital for children only.” In the decades that followed, the Guilds often made the difference during pivotal moments in the hospital’s history.
"For years, the Guilds made up the difference between a profit and a loss,” Dr. J.D. Northway, former CEO of Valley Children’s, once said. “As the hospital grew, that became less of an issue. No CEO is going to pass up the hundreds of thousands of dollars the Guilds raise a year, but the main thing is they rallied around us."
Today, that same spirit is alive and growing. Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak underscored the broader impact of the Guilds’ work.
“The financial support is one benefit, but the most important benefit the Guilds bring is their commitment and their engagement, and how they’ve made us the children’s hospital for all communities in the Valley,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the Guilds; we wouldn’t have continued to take care of more and more children with each passing decade.”
Leadership: Continuing a Legacy of Leadership
As a time-honored position, the Guilds Coordinating Council Chair Marla McClaskey (2024-2025) completed her two-year term – which was defined by a desire for stronger and meaningful connection and engagement. While at the helm, the Coordinating Council, consisting of a director from each of the Guilds, serves as the governing body which is organized for the benefit of Valley Children’s and keeping the Guilds informed of the care Valley Children’s provides.
2025 Coordinating Council Directors
- Alegria Guild (est. 1950), Melissa Bushey
- El Rio Reyes Guild (est. 2021), Linda Clark
- Holiday Guild (est. 1953), Natalie Garrick
- Kings Guild (est. 1949), Lynette Duston
- La Comida Guild (est. 1953), Pamela Basmajian
- La Feliz Guild (est. 1949), Melanie Chandler
- Las Madrinas Guild (est. 1950), Christine Vander Poel
- La Tienda Guild (est. 1952), Vanda McArthur
- La Visionaria Guild (est. 2007), Gina Moffat
- Los Rancheros Guild (est. 1949), Elaine Wells
- Padrinos Guild (re-est. 2015), Grant Lilles
- Tenaya Guild (est. 1950), Trina Prints
The Guilds Mission
To raise funds, advocate for children and promote goodwill for Valley Children’s Healthcare.
(Guilds Coordinating Council photo, above) Back row from left: Gina Moffat, La Visionaria Guild; Trina Prins, Tenaya Guild; Brad Smittcamp, Padrinos Guild. Third row from left: Laura Walberg, secretary and Guild Office Manager; Maria McClaskey, Los Rancheros Guild; Melissa Bushey, Alegria Guild. Second row from left: Melanie Chandler, La Feliz Guild; Natalie Garrick, Holiday Guild; Susie Smith, Holiday Guild. First row from left: Linda Clark, El Rio Reyes Guild; Pamela Basmajian, La Comida Guild; Elaine Wells, Los Rancheros Guild; Esther Franco Gomez, coordinator. Missing: Lynette Duston, Kings Guild; Vanda McArthur, La Tienda Guild; Christie Vander Poel, Las Madrinas Guild; Grant Lilles, Padrinos Guild; Teresa Fierro, treasurer and Guild Office Director.