***
600 Guests Joined Brian
Williams and Delbert McClinton
to Knock Out Lung Cancer
(New York, NY – November 22, 2011)
– More
than 600 guests gathered to raise $920,000 for lung cancer
research at the 9th annual “Strolling Supper with
Blues and News” hosted by Joan’s Legacy: Uniting Against
Lung Cancer. The event was held at Gotham Hall and
commemorated Lung Cancer Awareness Month in
New York City. Grammy award winning
blues great Delbert McClinton gave a rousing performance,
and New York
news anchors Brian Williams and Bill Ritter rallied the
crowd with their hopeful words.
“We are
thankful for the great success of our Strolling Supper, and
are pleased to fund the future of lung cancer research with
the support of our friends and partners,” said Mary Ann
Tighe, CEO of CBRE’s Tri-State Region and the President of
the foundation. “Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer,
especially in women, and we will continue to direct our
efforts towards raising funds and spreading awareness in the
hopes of one day combating this terrible disease.”
NBC’s
Brian Williams, host of the event, honored his late friend
Joan Scarangello, a talented news writer for whom the
foundation is named. Joan, a never-smoker, lost her battle
with lung cancer at the age of 47 in 2001. Williams went on
to present the first of the evening’s two special awards.
The Joanie Award honors excellence in journalism on the
subject of lung cancer. This year’s recipient, Chris Ballard
of Sports Illustrated,
wrote a heartfelt piece detailing the senior year of Jill
Costello, a member of UC Berkley’s women’s crew team who
continued the season despite fighting for her life. The
article chronicled Jill’s courage and wisdom as she dealt
with her lung cancer diagnosis.
Brian
Williams also presented the foundation’s Caine Halter Hope
Now Award, an annual award recognizing the efforts of
research labs developing novel treatment options for lung
cancer patients and survivors. This year’s winner, Dr.
Matthew Meyerson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a
leader in cancer genomics with a focus on lung cancer. He
and his staff have identified mutations to the epidermal
growth factor receptor, as well as a number of genes that
drive lung and other cancers.
“This
night continues to generate a feeling of hope for those
currently suffering with lung cancer,” says Uniting Against
Lung Cancer Executive Director Linda Wenger. “Each person in
the room is in some way connected to the efforts put forth
to cure lung cancer, proud of all that the foundation has
accomplished.”
WABC-TV’s
Bill Ritter remembered his mother, whom he lost to lung
cancer. He has dedicated himself to raising the profile of
lung cancer and the need for research. Mr. Ritter urged the
crowd to sponsor Joan’s Legacy’s “Research by the Hour”
program, which puts donations of as small as $25 to work
directly on innovative new research grants at top cancer
institutions around the US.
Joan’s
Legacy: Uniting Against Lung Cancer was founded in 2001 in
memory of Joan Scarangello, a
non-smoker who lost her battle with lung
cancer. In just eight years, the foundation has awarded
over $7.4 million in research grants for diagnosis,
treatment and a cure for lung cancer. Lung cancer is the
nation’s #1 cancer killer, claiming nearly 160,000 lives in
the U.S. this year alone. For more
information visit:
www.unitingagainstlungcancer.org