Acclaimed jazz musician Corky Hale and her husband, legendary songwriter Mike Stoller, unveiled a new delivery van Monday that they donated to Project Angel Food.

Jazz musician Corky Hale (left) and her husband, songwriter Mike Stoller, toasted the unveiling of Project Angel Food’s new delivery van with driver Bert Cole and the organization’s executive director Richard Ayoub. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Hale and Stoller decided to donate $40,000 for the Ford van last December after reading in the Park La Brea News and Beverly Press about Project Angel Food’s need for a new delivery vehicle. The donation covered the van purchase and operating costs for a year. Hale and Stoller said the donation was made in honor of their 45th wedding anniversary, and will help Project Angel Food’s mission of delivering meals to people with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other debilitating diseases.

“We are so happy to be involved,” Hale said.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to help people who can’t help themselves. It’s an honor to help feed those people,” Stoller added.

Hale said she and Stoller are involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors but prefer to “keep it quiet.” She said they jumped at the opportunity to help Project Angel Food after reading about the organization needing a new delivery van last December. Hale called Project Angel Food the next day and told executive director Richard Ayoub that she and Stoller wanted to donate money for the van.

“The Villalpandos (publishers Michael and Karen Villalpando) have the Beverly Press and Park Labrea News, and we read it every week. The Villalpandos have been very good to us. So when [Project Angel Food said] they need a new van, we said hey, ‘It’s our 45th wedding anniversary, let’s get them a new van,’” Hale said.

“We were proud to be a part of it,” added Stoller, who with his late songwriting partner Jerry Leiber wrote songs such as “Stand By Me,” “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock” and “Yakety Yak,” among many others.

Ayoub said the donation was a “blessing” and will help the organization fulfill its mission. It will be used for deliveries all the way to the Antelope Valley, the farthest destination where Project Angel Food delivers meals. Project Angel Food is located on Vine Street in Hollywood.

“It’s very rare in this day and age for an article to appear in a newspaper and get instant results,” Ayoub said. “It was a dream for us to get this van and the dream came true the day after this article appeared.”

Project Angel Food delivers 500,000 meals a year to people throughout Los Angeles County battling critical illnesses. Founded in 1989, the organization served its 10 millionth meal in March.