After a two-year hiatus, the John Brock Award Dinner is returning on Sept. 8.
The event will be held at the Seven Oaks Country Club and will present Dr. Ravi Patel, founder of the Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center (CBCC), with the prestigious John Brock Award for Community Service.
Each year, the award is bestowed on a business or community leader who has demonstrated a lifetime of exceptional service in the betterment of Bakersfield and Kern County. The award’s namesake — John Brock Sr. — was a local business icon and community servant who led the Brock’s department store.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be amongst the many incredible recipients of the John Brock Award for Community Service,” Dr. Patel said. “Now more than ever, contributing back to our community is essential in moving forward together.”
The CBCC is a multidisciplinary medical center utilizing the most advanced technology and treatments to provide care for all cancer types. It is a “one-stop shop” for a patient to receive diagnostic, medical, surgical, and holistic therapies with compassion and kindness.
Dr. Patel moved to Bakersfield in 1985 and subsequently founded the CBCC with a young group of physicians. Over the year, the center has grown from a 1,200-square-foot office with one employee to a 120,000-square-foot campus employing more than 250 people.
Dr. Patel’s focus on research and clinical studies has not only furthered treatments but also ensured that Kern County residents have access to the most cutting-edge therapies.
Beyond his success in business, Dr. Patel is a philanthropist who has been involved in many charities for local cancer patients, including establishing the CBCC Foundation for Community Wellness (FCW) and the Kern County Cancer Fund (KCCF).
The FCW is committed to addressing the financial, education and emotional needs of local cancer patients along with cancer awareness and prevention in our community. KCCF helps pay for the treatment of local cancer patients who lack insurance or sufficient coverage to pay for their medical care.
Additionally, Dr. Patel and his wife established the Ravi and Naina Patel Foundation to provide philanthropic services that fall outside the sphere of cancer care. With the goal of increasing global well-being, this foundation has engaged in various projects from helping build the Veterans Village, a community to house homeless veterans right here in Bakersfield, to providing clean water and sanitation to villages in India.
“I send my sincere congratulations to Dr. Patel on being named the recipient of the prestigious John Brock Award for Community Service,” said CSUB President Dr. Lynnette Zelezny. “Dr. Patel’s record of business success and community service is inspiring. He is a genuine and generous friend of the university, and we are thrilled that he is being deservedly recognized.”
John Brock Jr., son of the award’s namesake and board member for the John Brock Award, congratulated Dr. Patel on being selected for the award.
“Our community is blessed to have leaders like Dr. Patel who invest their time, treasure and talents into making Bakersfield and Kern County better,” he said. “Dr. Patel joins what is arguably the ‘hall of fame’ of Bakersfield’s business and community service legends.”
Proceeds from the recognition dinner will help fund the CSUB John Brock Endowment, which provides scholarships and program support for students in the university’s School of Business and Public Administration.
Scholarships will be presented at the event to this year’s scholarship recipients: Christian Gapper, Daniel Garcia, Citlalli Moreno Cisneros, Isabel Heredia and Mina Garcia Castillo.
Tickets for the event are $175 per person and tables can be purchased for $1,400. Limited individual and corporate table sponsorships are available through Friday, Sept. 2nd. Tickets may be purchased by calling 661-301-2081.
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