Little Company of Mary Community Health Foundation in Torrance recently received a $1 million charitable gift from the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation. The gift was announced at the dedication of the Vasek Polak Cardiovascular Institute at Little Company of Mary Hospital.

"Little Company of Mary performed the first heart surgery in the South Bay, and this commitment to state-of-the-art cardiovascular care continues thanks to the generosity of the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation, Inc.," said hospital chief operating officer Mark Costa.

The Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation was established by long-time local businessman Vasek Polak, who died in 1997.