NCREC Boosts City of Hope Research Funds

Lituchy presents the Spirit of Life Award to Khouri.

SAN FRANCISCO— Presented annually by the Northern California Real Estate and Construction Council (NCREC), the Spirit of Life Award recognizes outstanding business leadership and philanthropic achievements. City of Hope is a leading research, treatment and education center for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. The Spirit of Life Award, City of Hope’s most prestigious philanthropic honor, was given to Eli Khouri of Equity Office Properties at a sold-out benefit dinner that raised $960,000 for the City of Hope. “Outside of my family life, I’ve never had an experience nearly as rewarding and life-affirming as the one I just had with City of Hope and this year’s Spirit of Life event,” said Khouri. “It’s a credit to our industry that this is such a long-running and successful effort to support the City of Hope’s world-leading efforts in critical medical research and unsurpassed compassionate patient care.” Top financial sponsors included Blackstone Realty, Carmel Partners, Eastdil Secured, Ellis Partners, Equity Office, Jones Lang LaSalle, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank West Coast Capital Markets, CBRE Capital Markets, Colliers, Columbia Property Trust, Cushman & Wakefield, Manatt Phelps and Phillips LLP, Plant Construction Company, Prologis and TMG Partners . Khouri tells GlobeSt.com: “I would challenge anybody to take a deep look at what the amazingly talented, passionate and caring professionals at City of Hope are doing, and to walk away with anything other than unbreakable optimism in the power of the human spirit.” Khouri serves as the president and chief executive officer of Equity Office, an affiliate of the Blackstone Group and one of the nation’s largest office real estate owners and operators. Khouri was appointed to this role in September 2015, and oversees the strategic direction of the company as well as all day-to-day operations. The Equity Office portfolio encompasses approximately 58 million square feet of class-A office space throughout the US, and has signature properties in the nation’s leading gateway markets. Prior to this, Khouri was executive vice president and chief investment officer of Kilroy Realty , and was responsible for the performance of the company’s investment activities and capital allocations including acquisitions, development, redevelopment and dispositions. “I’m proud to have been a part of such an amazing event. Seeing over 700 people honor Eli for his accomplishments as an industry leader and philanthropist, while raising almost $1 million for the City of Hope’s mission, was inspirational.  My heartfelt thank you goes to the Bay Area real estate community for their generous support,” adds Matt Lituchy of Jay Paul Company and president of the City of Hope REC board. NCREC is comprised of developers, brokers, contractors, building owners, engineers, architects and consultants who advocate on behalf of a single philanthropic goal: supporting the lifesaving treatment and compassionate care of City of Hope. To date, the council has raised nearly $8 million for City of Hope. One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute , City of Hope is a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network . Its lifesaving research and treatment advances improve the lives of people around the nation, and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology pioneered at City of Hope. Its commitment to compassionate patient care and its approach to individualized treatment are considered models for supportive care in the United States.