The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation

PLEASE VIEW THE ALCMI VIDEO. Thank you all for joining us at our fourth and SIMPLY THE BEST EVER DINNER GALA on Saturday, November 21, 2009. Two-time EMMY award winner and two-time Lung Cancer survivor Kathryn Joosten, star of Desperate Housewives and previously West Wing, opened the evening with many laughs by roasting, surprising and honoring emcee Cheryl Jennings, ABC7, with the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Award for Public Service for her courage in taking the cause of Lung Cancer under her wings and generating unprecedented and resounding awareness for BJALCF and all patients and families. “Let me get this straight,” said Kathryn, while stealing Cheryl’s mic, “You’ve got five EMMY’s and I’ve only got two…” Click here to view Cheryl’s series on Zheng Cao which aired the previous evening on ABC news.

The Fairmont Grand Ballroom was filled with guests from all over the world including BJALCF’s new Nebraska affiliate and mastermind creator of the viral WTF-WHERE’S THE FUNDING? for Lung Cancer campaign, Jennifer Stauss Windrum and her LC survivor mom, Leslie Lehrman. We are so happy to have this dynamic duo and their movement join our movement and find the funding. It’s coming. Please visit Jennifer’s campaign, buy WTF merchandise, and spread the word and watch the latest on Fox 42KPTM.com.      VIEW GALA PHOTOS HERE

Thanks to Margaret Duckhorn and Perry and Carolyn Juslyn, the fabulous dinner was pared with ONLY the best wine. Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 5, created a menu TO LIVE FOR and taught everyone that Buffalo is the new Filet Mignon. Special thanks to Chef James of the Fairmont for making over 500 of the plates perfect. To read more about Hosea and his mom and dad, CLICK HERE. And as Ed Rosenberg reminds us, “Be sure to do what makes you smile.”

The Dr. David Jablons “Asclepios Award” honoring pioneers in research went to Dr. David Carbone. “I chose David Carbone for his endless dedication to his patients,” said Jablons. “And his relentless pursuit of better therapies and improving outcomes based on incorporating novel therapeutics and treatment options as they emerge. He has built a great team of scientists and clinicians at Vanderbilt and is widely recognized as one of the leading researchers worldwide in Lung Cancer today. He is a smart guy and, amazingly, as nice a guy as there is in the business. He is richly deserving of this award and it is my great honor to present it to him tonight…” Dr. Carbone is currently chair of the Scientific Leadership Board of the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI).

The Dr. Theirry Jahan “A Breath Away from the Cure” Award was accepted by Dr. Giorgio Scagliotti who flew in for a quick 24-hour trip—all the way from the University of Turino, Italy. “Each year, this award is given to honor individuals for their excellence in oncology,” said Jahan. “It is my great honor to choose Giorgio for his coordinated treatment, care and compassion, for those with Lung Cancer. Through all of his efforts, he has redefined the way we treat Lung Cancer and through his work he has inspired me as well as the entire Lung Cancer Community for the past two decades.”

The Dr. Fred Marcus “Simply the Best” Award honoring outstanding performance in the fight to end Lung Cancer went out to Kathy Danenberg, President and CEO of Response Genetics. “It is with the greatest appreciation for Kathy’s dedication to the advancement of Lung Cancer biology and biologic testing,” said Marcus. “And the application of scientific discovery to help people with Lung Cancer NOW and for her insights and humanistic philosophy of how her important discoveries and methods should be available to all people with Lung Cancer, and her alliance with ALCMI, that I bestow this highest honor from BJALCF.”

All but one of the thirteen-member cast of the “ALCMI: Making it Personal One Patient at Time” video were in attendance. Narrator Bonnie Addario, in a John Catchings Production, opens the biggest Lung Cancer movie of the past four decades (or ever, really) with the question, “What do a world-renowned opera singer, a two-time Emmy Award winner and two young college students have in common?” As Dr. Marcus explained during the premiere, we no longer have to imagine a world where you are an experiment and you CAN receive therapies for Lung Cancer that are tailor made to provide the most efficacy, eliminating therapies that might provide toxic side effects. The personalized information coming out of ALCMI now gives an oncologist the most specific and advanced information possible to make the best possible decision for treatment the FIRST time…your individual genetic identity is the key factor to survival. ALCMI is dispelling the barrier myths about Lung Cancer and is accelerating tomorrow because TODAY, for many, is the only day. ALCMI is NOW working on a project with seven major University Medical Centers in the United States and Europe that will take the Lung Cancer tissue from the biopsy and a single blood sample directly to real-time laboratory technology that will select the right drug the first time. “If we can analyze the genes in your cancer cell and see the mutations that make this particular cancer more susceptible to dying in response to a certain treatment then that’s the treatment you need.” explains Ite Laird-Offringa, researcher at USC and ALCMI member. This is personalized medicine and as Bonnie states, “This should be the protocol. The cavalry is coming.” CAST members (SURVIVORS): Bonnie J. Addario, Zheng Cao, 23-year old Taylor Bell, 21-year old Jillian Costello, Kathryn Joosten, Grace White • (DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS): David Carbone, MD, PhD, David Gandara, MD, David Jablons, MD, Ite-Laird-Offringa, Fred Marcus, MD, Giorgio Scagliotti, MD, PhD,  and ALCMI PRESIDENT, Steven Young.

Next, the Bonnie J. Addario “Unsung Hero” Award was presented to over 40 Lung Cancer survivors in the room including our youngest survivor Gabby Wilson who said she had the ” best time of her life” while world-renowned mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with Josy Hicks-Jablons, a rising star. There was not a dry eye in the house.

Auctioneer David Silverman steered the crowd back into party mode commandeering about $150,000 with the Fund the Need and a wild live auction. Dominick and Gloria Chirichillo of Domenico Wines donated the most lively item…a collectible and authentic Felipe Rose Village People Indian Costume which Jablons donned while “macho man” played, and EVERYONE else ended up wearing the costume throughout the evening. What began with a $100 opening bid, soared to $3500 and survivor Ed Lynch is now the proud owner.

The dancing began at 9:15pm sharp with Bill Hopkin’s Rock ‘N Orchestra, and we welcome any additional stories coming from you. EMAIL US.

Simply the Best Dinner Gala V will be held at the San Francisco Fairmont on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Save the Date and please join us.

Notes: Marc Galbraith of San Francisco won the Smart Car and Crete Wood of Colorado won the Jewelry. Pictures and video to come. Stay tuned…

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY

Read more about Jennifer and her mom Leslie in the gothenbergtimes