Nightingale Ball
Honoring our history
Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration as we honor Ojai Valley Hospital Foundation founding members Dr. Martin & Barbara Pops for their instrumental roles in transforming our local hospital and their indelible impact on our community.
The 2026 Nightingale Ball will shine as a tribute to their incredible legacy and a celebration of our shared commitment to ensuring the availability of exceptional healthcare in the Ojai Valley for years to come.
funding our future
In 2024, Community Memorial was given the opportunity to purchase the church property adjacent to our Ojai Hospital campus. With the future needs of our community in mind, the Ojai Valley Hospital Foundation stepped forward and committed to fully fund the land acquisition at a total price of just over $2 million. To date, $1.85 million toward this commitment has been raised.
Proceeds from the 2026 Nightingale Ball will complete this $2 million commitment, and allow us to move forward with our plans for the future of healthcare in the Ojai Valley. All funds raised in Ojai stay in Ojai!
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event details
Saturday, January 17, 2026
The Farmhouse at the Ojai Valley Inn
905 Country Club Road, Ojai, CA 93023
The party starts with complimentary trolley service from the tennis court parking area to the Farmhouse.
6:00 PM Cocktail Reception
7:00 PM Dinner, Program, Live Music by the Lucky Devils Band, & Dancing
Black tie attire is suggested.
Honorary Hosts
In 1994, Dr. Martin and Barbara Pops moved to Ojai to enjoy retirement and a slower pace of life. Little did they know, their greatest chapter of service was just beginning.
Dr. Pops, a respected gastroenterologist and former Dean of Medicine at UCLA, and Barbara Pops, who led UCLA’s volunteer program with more than [1200] volunteers, both carried with them a deep commitment to community and philanthropy.
Soon after arriving in the Valley, they were invited by Joan Kemper and other local leaders to join the effort to secure the future of Ojai’s hospital. In 2000, with a bank loan arranged by Alan Rains, the group set out to save the hospital and keep quality healthcare in Ojai. Dr. Pops served as Chair of the effort, while Barbara, along with John and Peggy Russell and Gary and Brenda Farr, founded a philanthropic group to support the hospital. That group, now known as The Guild, grew into one of the Valley’s most impactful organizations. Today, The Guild boasts more than 240 members and has raised over [amount] for the hospital.
Recognizing the challenges of sustaining an independent, rural hospital, Dr. Pops spearheaded the effort to merge with Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura. The merger became official in 2005, ensuring long-term stability for Ojai’s community hospital. He went on to serve as Chair of the Community Memorial Healthcare Board of Trustees from [2009-2016]. During that time the Board played a major role with the search for funding to build the new Community Memorial Hospital.
Together, Marty and Barbara played a pivotal role in transforming local healthcare. In 2005, Barbara formed the Hospital Foundation and served as its chair for 3 years. Together their vision and fundraising leadership helped make possible two of the hospital’s most significant improvements – the new Continuing Care Center and the expanded, modernized Emergency Department. Longtime Ojai residents remember when the ER consisted of just two beds separated by a curtain—proof of just how far we’ve come.
The 2026 Nightingale Ball will honor Dr. Martin and Barbara Pops for choosing service over leisure, for dedicating their retirement to a cause larger than themselves, and for leaving a legacy that ensures quality healthcare for generations to come.
