Gilda’s Club New York City Raises More
Than $1,000,000 at
Benefit Gala Honoring
Tony Coles, MD
Former CEO of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Joel Marcus
Chairman, CEO & Founder of Alexandria Real Estate
Equities, Inc./
Alexandria Venture Investments
Alessandro Riva, MD
EVP & Global Head Oncology Development
& Medical Affairs
at Novartis Pharmaceuticals
More than $1,000,000 was raised last Thursday, November
14,
at the Pierre for the18th annual
Gilda’s Club NYC benefit gala, Celebrating Our Family.
WABC TV news anchor and ABC News 20/20 correspondent,
Bill Ritter, and auctioneer C. Hugh Hildesley of
Sotheby’s, kept the more than 400 guests entertained and
enraptured. Honorees Coles and Riva, looking quite
dapper, received standing ovations for their
heartwarming and at times humorous remarks.
The highlight of the evening was the moving speech given
by Gilda’s Club members Lillian and her daughter Star.
Lillian, a member since 2010, shared her personal
journey with uterine and cervical cancer. She expressed
what a “blessing” Gilda’s Club has meant to her and her
family. Star, soon to be 13, eloquently spoke of her
participation in Noogieland and Camp Sparkle, GCNYC’s
program for children ages 5-12.
Following the members’ speeches, Hildesley commandeered
a lively battle for four amazing live auction items: 2
Cayman Island trips, a trip to Paris, and an incredible
dinner for 12, prepared by Riverpark Chef Sisha-Ortuzar,
offered at the home of contemporary artist, Domingo
Zapata. Following the live auction, Hildesley continued
raising money for GCNYC by requesting guests to raise
their Gilda head paddles for the cause. “Bidding”
started off with a generous gift from absentee honoree
Joel Marcus, who was called away on urgent matters and
was unable to attend the gala. A matching gift was soon
followed by fellow honoree, Dr. Tony Coles. All in all,
more than $225,000 was raised during the live and caused
related auction.
Corporate guests and sponsors in attendance included Red
Door Benefactors Alexandria, Celgene, Novartis, and
Onyx; Gold Door Patrons Joan & Bob Easton, Easai, and
Pfizer; as well as 15 other corporations and many
well-heeled philanthropists
About Gilda’s Club
NYC
GCNYC provides free emotional
and social support for everyone living with cancer –
men, women, teens, children – and their family and
friends. Our innovative program is an essential
complement to medical care, providing support and
networking groups, educational lectures, workshops and
social activities.
For further information, please visit: www.gildasclubnyc.org