GMH Charity Ball honors two "Legacy of A Lifetime" honorees for first time

Today the Guam Memorial Hospital Volunteers Association announced its 2026 Charity Ball, an event that helps raise money for critical equipment at Guam's only public hospital. And for the first time, the organization is also honoring two women whose service helped shape its mission.

For decades, volunteers with the GMH Volunteers Association have worked behind the scenes supporting patient care at GMH.  On Thursday, the group officially launching its 2026 Charity Ball, Gupot Karidåt, while also honoring a legacy of giving that spans generations.

Terese Calvo, GMHVA president, said, "We heavily rely on community support from businesses and individuals to help fill critical gaps such as equipment upgrades, patient care needs and volunteer programs."

For the first time in the event’s 61-year history, two legacy of a lifetime honorees are being recognized together: the late Mariquita T. Souder, one of the Association’s founding members, and former first lady Geraldine Gutierrez, a lifetime member of the organization.

Organizers say their stories represent a “shared legacy of service through faith and family.” David Betances, Tita Souder's grandson, shared, "For those of you who knew her, it’s an honor for me to be here for this moment. I just want to say that the spirit of giving continues and I see her in all of your faces."

Souder helped lay the foundation for the organization, serving as the hospital’s first gift shop manager and dedicating years to supporting the volunteer mission. Her legacy also lives on through family, including her niece, Gutierrez. Carla Gutierrez, added, "My mom Geri was always ready to make a difference by offering support, guidance and a loving hand and heart to make the community a brighter place."

The goal of the Charity Ball this year is to purchase a state-of-the-art electrosurgical generator called the Ligasure FT10, a lifesaving device vital for minimally invasive surgeries. 

"Gil Calma, a longtime GMH registered nurse, said, "The LIGASure FT10 device that we’ll obtain is vital to managing that type of surgery to decrease the surgery time, to protect tissue and what we call hemostasis, and prevent blood loss."

And Dorothy Borlas, the Charity Ball's co-chair, said, "That’s something that we really need at Guam Memorial Hospital. You have to remember, this is the only community hospital that we have and we’re in need of a lot of these equipment. So we ask the community to help us."

Community members can support the upcoming Charity Ball through sponsorships, ticket purchases, and donations, helping continue a legacy of service supporting patients at the island's only public hospital. Co-chair

Lina McDonald said, "If they just buy one ticket, you’re a part of making our fundraiser a success to get that equipment. So any kind of donation is welcome."