NEW YORK CITY-Joan's Legacy: Uniting Against Lung Cancer started its second decade of funding lung cancer research last week by raising over $1.35 million at its annual “Strolling Supper with Blues & News.” More than 700 guests gathered at Gotham Hall in Manhattan to celebrate the gala's 11th year and support the efforts of the partners and doctors who have tirelessly raised awareness and pursued a cure for the nation's deadliest cancer.
Lung cancer is severely underfunded, lagging behind all other cancers. Over the past ten years, the Strolling Supper has helped Uniting Against Lung Cancer fund more than $10 million in research grants at 49 different institutions across the United States – nearly $1.5 million in 2012 alone.
“We're delighted to see support for Joan's Legacy grow, and to see the audience for our Strolling Supper enjoy the best party in town while contributing to UALC's scientific research program,” said Mary Ann Tighe, CEO of CBRE's tri-state region and the president of the UALC board. “We're dedicated to shining a spotlight on the desperate need for lung cancer research and raising funds to support it. We are grateful for the support of our friends and partners across the country.” Tighe is the sister of the late Joan Scarangello, for whom the foundation is named.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed a silent auction packed with luxury items and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, a rousing performance by Grammy award winning blues artist Delbert McClinton, and savory food and cocktails.
NBC's Brian Williams, a long-time supporter of the Joan's Legacy: Strolling Supper remembered his late friend and colleague, Scarangello, a news writer for the network. Joan, a never smoker, lost her battle with lung cancer at the age of 47 in 2001. Williams conducted a spirited live auction and urged the crowd to donate to Research by the Hour.
WABC-TV News anchor Bill Ritter returned this year as the gala's emcee. He honored his mother, whom he lost to lung cancer. Ritter presented the foundation's annual Caine Halter Hope Now Award, recognizing the efforts of research labs developing novel treatment options for lung cancer patients and survivors.
This year's recipient, Dr. John D. Minna, is the director of the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and is considered to be one of the founders of modern lung cancer research. Dr. Minna's research focuses on understanding the molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer and developing personalized medicine for lung cancer patients.
“We would like to thank all of those who made the success of this year's Strolling Supper a reality,” said Linda Wenger, executive director of Uniting Against Lung Cancer.“With the help of our partners and medical advisors, the foundation has made significant strides since our inception, and we look forward to achieving even greater milestones in the years to come.”
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
