Published on September 1, 2020
Updated on February 5, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Berry Edwards
703-519-2107
lisa.edwards@preventcancer.org
Watch the full 2020 Gala video
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Prevent Cancer Annual Spring Gala draws a crowd of more than 1,000 people to the National Building Museum every spring. In pre-pandemic times, the Foundation would welcome its distinguished guests, including members of Congress and the administration, the diplomatic community, and leaders in the business, government, medical, sports, media, social and philanthropic communities.
But these are not normal times.
So the Foundation has reimagined its Gala, transforming it into an evening of lively performances and inspiring stories, all which can be livestreamed directly to your living room on September 10 at 8:00 p.m.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s first-ever virtual Gala will feature performances by:
The “Lighting the Way to Prevention” pledge drive will tell the story of stage III ovarian cancer survivor Susanna Quinn, featuring Rob Lowe, Dana Bash, Kristin Cecchi, Nancy Cordes, Stephanie Cutter, Jamie Dorros, Jennifer Griffin, Whitfield Growdon, M.D., Norah O’Donnell, Tara Patten and Elizabeth Thorp.
In keeping with the tradition of honoring a country that shares its commitment to ending cancer, the 2020 Gala will pay tribute to “The Kingdom of the Netherlands: A Virtual Masterpiece in Bloom.” His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Netherlands, André Haspels, will start the livestream with a toast to the success of the evening.
Guests can participate in the silent auction throughout the evening, making bids from their cell phones or computers. Items include a Mindy Lam handcrafted jewelry piece, a three-night stay at The Dylan in Amsterdam, embassy dinners, dinner with weddings and celebrations expert David Tutera and more!
The Gala will also honor Representatives Terri Sewell and Greg Walden with the 2020 Cancer Champion award.
“We are mindful that cancer doesn’t stop during a pandemic, and more than 1.6 million Americans will hear the words ‘You have cancer’ this year alone. Your support is even more crucial during this time,” said Carolyn Aldigé, Founder and CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “As we make our way through these uncertain times, we remain hopeful that we can make the world a safer, healthier place.”
The event is free of charge, but you must register beforehand to attend.
Proceeds from the Gala will support Foundation programs, including research grants and fellowships and community outreach grants. Funds will also support a new public service campaign, “Back on the Books,” to remind people to reschedule their postponed or cancelled routine cancer screenings.
The 2020 Prevent Cancer Virtual Gala thanks its sponsors Community Oncology Alliance, Gilead Sciences, Pfizer, PhRMA, Shure Family Charitable Foundation, Amgen, and GRAIL.
About the Prevent Cancer Foundation®
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is celebrating 35 years as the only U.S. nonprofit organization focused solely on saving lives across all populations through cancer prevention and early detection. Through research, education, outreach and advocacy, we have helped countless people avoid a cancer diagnosis or detect their cancer early enough to be successfully treated.
The Foundation is rising to meet the challenge of reducing cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. To achieve this, we are committed to investing $20 million into innovative technologies to detect cancer early and advance universal cancer screening, $10 million to expand cancer screening and vaccination access to underserved communities, and $10 million to educate the public about screening and vaccination options.
For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.
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