Golfers play in memory of a friend

REMEMBERING BILL-A group of friends and colleagues gather for a day of golf at North Ranch Country Club. The tournament raised $8,500 for the City of Hope in honor of Bill Aspinwall, a former Calabasas resident who passed away at the age of 47 from a rare heart cancer. The event was organized by Eric Bossuk, kneeling front row, third from left, a friend of Aspinwall's since the two attended junior high school together. A group of local golfers hit the links at North Ranch Country Club last month in memory of former Calabasas resident Bill Aspinwall to raise $8,500 for the City of Hope, one of the nation's leading cancer treatment and research centers.

"I am thrilled that we were able to present the City of Hope with these funds to assist in the prevention, treatment and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases in Bill Aspinwall's name," said Eric Bossuk, principal of Tri County Insurance in Calabasas, who conceived and organized the event.

"Spending a beautiful day on a great golf course with friends is exactly the kind of tribute that Bill would have loved. We hope to make this an annual event and continue to support the City of Hope's efforts to eradicate this devastating disease," said Bossuk.

Aspinwall, 47, passed away last January as a result of cancer of the heart, one of the rarest and deadliest forms of the disease. A 1980 graduate of Cal State Northridge, he was a principal of Tegner-Miller Insurance Brokers, one of Santa Monica's oldest insurance agencies, for more than 25 years. He and his wife and their two children had resided in Calabasas since 1999.

Among the tournament players were a variety of longtime friends and business colleagues, many of whom had played golf with Aspinwall at some of the topranked courses in the nation. Bossuk met Aspinwall about 34 years ago on the playground at Hale Junior High School in Woodland

Hills. They continued their friendship during high school, college and throughout their careers in the insurance industry.

"It is only through the combined efforts of their many supporters around the world that City of Hope can continue to touch the lives of millions. We are very appreciative of the efforts of Bill's friends," said Rick Leonard, associate vice president, gift planning, for the City of Hope, who accepted the donation on behalf of the organization.

City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif. is part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 15 of the nation's leading cancer centers.