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Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF),
a nonprofit organization which remains steadfast in its
commitment to identify and fund groundbreaking cancer
research programs to save the lives of millions, hosted its
annual gala at the Parrish
Art Museum in Watermill,
NY on Saturday,
August 29, 2015. The weekend’s events raised over $4
million, which is a record for this event.
The gala was hosted in support of the 11th Annual
Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am Tennis Tournament being
held from August 28 – 30, 2015, named after the successful
entrepreneur who constantly turned tragic events throughout
his life into philanthropic causes. The gala evening,
catered by Robbins
Wolfe, was a
celebration featuring cocktails, dining and special
performances from Natalie
Cole and David
Foster with
special guests including American Idol Winner Ruben
Studdard. 100
percent of the funds raised throughout the evening went to
supporting groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research.
The night began with a short quiz by the Founder of the
Prostate Cancer Foundation Michael
Milken, who asked questions about magic to the crowd of
gala guests such as what caused Famous Illusionist Harry
Houdini’s Death, Peritonitis, and what was the first book of
magic called, The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584). Fellow
performer David Foster then introduced the first performer
Natalie Cole, with whom he had just wrapped up an Asian
tour.
Once she got onto stage, she began her set by telling the
audience, “This is going to be one of the shortest sets I
ever did, so listen carefully.” She began her set with her
song “Almost Like Being In Love” and did a couple of covers
including Renee Olstead’s “What A Difference a Day Makes.”
Then she performed “Unforgettable,” her Grammy award-winning
duet with her father Legendary Singer Nat King Cole, which
was also the first song she had produced by fellow performer
David Foster, which was received with loud applause. As she
performed, video of her father singing along to the song
played on TVs behind her and were interspersed with images
of her and Nat while growing up. She closed her set with her
father’s famous track “L.O.V.E.”
Following Cole’s set, Milken discussed the young
investigators program and the funding the Prostate Cancer
Foundation is doing on their behalf. As he defines them,
these young investigators are young scientists in their 30s
who have received all of the advanced degrees and research
experience to run their own labs, however they lack the
funding. It is these investigators, he said, that are
leading to groundbreaking advancements in cancer research.
Currently, PCF works with 153 of these young investigators
who are currently researching 22 candidate molecules for
cancer research, and these investigators have impacted the
creation of six different FDA- Approved Prostate Cancer
drugs. Following the presentation and quiz questions
discussing these young investigators, Milken asked gala
attendees to pledge $75,000 over the course of three years,
then $75,000 for one year and then $25,000 for one year. At
the conclusion of the fundraising portion, he said, “next
year we will tell you how each of our young investigators
changed the world.”
After a video introduction, David Foster began his set,
during which he invited many of his friends to the stage to
perform as he accompanied on the piano, first being Emily
West, a runner-up on Reality TV competition show
America’s Got Talent. She performed a couple of songs
including “Nights In White Satin,” a song she performed
while competing on the show. David Foster & Emily West
performed The Prayer, a song David Foster wrote for Celine
Dion and Andrea Bocelli, and halfway through the song, David
Foster cut her off and said that this is meant to be a duet
and introduced Forte,
another top competitor on America’s Got Talent. Forte
participated in a contest to see who could hold the longest
note with Foster and Nathan
Gunn, a baritone opera singer in the crowd that evening.
At the conclusion of Forte’s set, Foster brought Shelea
Frazier to
the stage, who performed two songs from The Bodyguard
including a cover of Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Will
Always Love You.” Halfway through the performance of I Will
Always Love You, American Idol winner Ruben
Studdard joined
them on stage. David Foster said “Ruben Studdard has a
talent, he can write a song on the spot. So let’s write one
for tonight’s event.” The crowd names the song, ”A Cure Is
On the Way” and Studdard improvised the words as he sang.
The show ended with a group rendition of Hey Jude, then
Michael Milken thanked David Foster and asked everyone to go
to the other stage. At the other stage, guests danced the
night away to Super
Diamond, a Neil Diamond cover band.
Notable attendees included: Michael
& Lori Milken (Founder), Natalie Cole (Performer), David
Foster (Performer), Jim Coleman & Cynthia Ott (Host), Bob &
Deanna Adler (Host), Seth & Marie Bernstein (Host), Jeff &
Mei Sze Greene (Host), Mitchell Modell (Host), Glenn &
Jennifer Myles (Host), Bonnie Pfeifer Evans (Host; Chair,
Charles Evans Foundation), Stewart Rahr (Host), Artie &
Selma Rabin (Host), Dean Palin (Host), Dr.
Joel Pashcow (Host), Leon & Leeza Wagner (Host), John
Paulson, Joe Torre, Marla Maples, Jason Binn, Frank Luntz,
Richard Kind, Former New York Governor David Patterson, Dr.
Jonathan Simons (CEO, Prostate Cancer Foundation), Larry
Leeds, Jerry Cohen, Brian Reynolds, Chris Oberbeck, Don
Marron, Mark Philippoussis (Pro), Robert Kendrick (Pro),
Danny Govberg, Barry Sternlicht, Arik Kislin, Elaine Wynn,
Neal Sroka, Jackie Rogers.
Weekend hosts and sponsors of the Charles Evans PCF Pro-Am
Tournament include: Bill
& Karen Ackman; Bob
& Deanna Adler; Seth
& Marie Bernstein; Jim
Coleman & Cynthia Ott; Larry
Gagosian & Chrissy Erpf; Bonnie
Pfeifer Evans; Jeff
& Mei Sze Greene; The
Hain Celestial Group, Inc.;Tom
Lee & Ann Tenenbaum; David
& Julia Koch; Bill
& Phyllis Mack ; Richard
Merkin, MD.; Mike
& Lori Milken; Modell’s
Sporting Goods; Glenn
& Jennifer Myles; Dean
Palin; Mickey
Palin; Joel
Pashcow; Artie
& Selma Rabin; Stewart
Rahr; Jonathan
& Sheryl Sokoloff; Lady
Sheila Stable;Leon &
Leesa Wagner; Mort
Zuckerman.
About Prostate Cancer Foundation:
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading
philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate
cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than
$615 million and provided funding to more than 2,000
research programs at nearly 200 cancer centers and
universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends
to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of
prostate cancer and more efficient investment of
governmental research funds for transformational cancer
research. Its efforts has helped produce a 20-fold increase
in government funding for prostate cancer.
For further information on the PCF, please visit
www.pcf.org
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