Honoring Spinoff Visionaries
Join us at this year’s Spinoff in honoring four individuals who made a profound impact during their lifetimes by generously donating their time, talent and treasure to bring some of the most advanced cancer care to the San Diego region. With deep gratitude, we recognize and celebrate the indelible mark each of these visionaries has left on Scripps and our community.
Charles “Skeets” A. Dunn, Jr.
Charles “Skeets” Dunn, Jr. was a beloved and long-time benefactor of Scripps Health. He was a founding member of Spinoff, which started as a pro-am tennis tournament, and he served on the advisory council of the Scripps Stevens Cancer Center, which is now part of Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center. For more than 20 years, he was a devoted supporter of the John S. Trombold Endowment for patient support services. Skeets is remembered for his zest for life, work, sport — and dedication to our organization.
Karen Gabsch
Along with her husband, Orrin Gabsch, Karen was one of the first Founders for Scripps MD Anderson and realized the importance early-on of providing patients with advanced cancer care. Karen served on the Scripps MD Anderson Advisory Council. In the early days of Spinoff — when it was a tennis tournament — Karen hosted the events at her home in La Jolla and consistently supported it through the years. In addition to her involvement in Scripps MD Anderson, Karen volunteered on the Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital Advisory Council for more than two decades.
William Stanton, MD
A distinguished oncologist, William Stanton, MD, was a member of the Scripps Mercy Hospital medical staff for more than 40 years. During this time, he contributed significantly to improving cancer care, as the medical director for Scripps Mercy Cancer Center, and most recently, as a physician advisor for Scripps MD Anderson. Dr. Stanton was also a member of the Scripps Mercy Hospital Advisory Council for more than 15 years. His life dream was to build a cancer center at Scripps Mercy. His tireless fundraising and advocacy were instrumental in making Prebys Cancer Center a reality.
John Trombold, MD
In 1976, John Trombold, MD, an eminent hematologist-oncologist, helped establish the cancer center at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, which later became Scripps Stevens Cancer Center; now a part of Scripps MD Anderson. As founding medical director, Dr. Trombold established a patient support services program to complement clinical care. He fundraised and hired our first oncology nurse navigator, oncology social worker and genetic counselor. His leadership behind-the-scenes as an avid fundraiser launched Spinoff, which has raised millions of dollars to support cancer care since its inception.