Celebrities Carol Channing, Carl Reiner, Rose Marie and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. helped Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center in Hawthorne raise over $100,000 for its new state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NCIU).

The 27th annual "Book Affaire" fundraiser, held recently at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey, featured books by celebrity authors as well as many other well-known writers. Since its inception in 1976 the event has sold over 52,000 books and raised more than $2,500,000 for the hospital.

"We are appreciative of all of the celebrities and other authors who participated in Book Affaire and delighted that so many people in the community attended the event," said Jacqueline Williams, executive director of the RFK Medical Center Foundation.

The NCIU will be located in the hospital's new 67,000 square foot patient tower. The three-story tower will also house a new 10-bed ICU, four surgical suites, two additional recovery rooms, new medical and surgical patient rooms and a family life center.