The St. John's Regional Medical Center and St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital Foundations will host the first inaugural "Adventure 2004," fundraising gala that will honor Jack Broome and John Borchard, longtime community leaders and dedicated philanthropists, as the first recipients of the Catherine McAuley Lifetime Achievement Award.

The sold out, black-tie event will take place June 12 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Proceeds will assist St. John's and the Sisters of Mercy, the religious sponsor of St. John's, in their mission to deliver quality health services to the Oxnard and Camarillo communities.

The McAuley Award pays tribute to members of the community for their contributions and volunteerism, commitment to society, and support of the charisma and values exemplified by Catherine McAuley. Mother Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831, and gave her time, talents and sizable inheritance to those suffering from poverty, illness and a lack of education.

Honorees Broome and Borchard are being recognized for their lasting contributions to the community through "works of mercy," sharing their time, talents and resources and inspiring others to follow in their example, officials said.

Broome --- an aviator, rancher, farmer, businessman, humanitarian, and philanthropist --- previously served as chairman of St. John's Regional Medical Center Foundation, and has been active in fundraising efforts for the hospital. His awards include a Presidential Citation from President Jimmy Carter in 1978 for "advancing job opportunities in the business sector of disadvantaged citizens, needy youth, veterans and ex-offenders."

Borchard, born at St. John's in 1943 and raised on an Oxnard farm owned by his family since the 1960s, has served on the boards and committees of more than 25 organizations. His dedication to St. John's began as a youth, when his parents knocked on doors to raise funds for the building. He became a Humanitarian in 1968 and served as the chairman for seven years through 1985. During two separate building campaigns, he served as a trustee of the St. John's Regional Medical Center Foundation.