NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Cancer Society announced today it will be hosting the 9th Annual Financial Services Cares Gala on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. Over 500 financial industry leaders will gather to raise money and awareness, as well as elicit support for the American Cancer Society’s programs and mission.
At each Financial Services Cares Gala, the American Cancer Society honors a prominent philanthropic leader with the Eugene D. O’Kelly Award, named after KPMG's former Chairman and CEO Eugene O'Kelly. O’Kelly, who passed away in 2005, was a champion of philanthropy and volunteerism in the financial services business who worked tirelessly to promote wellness in the workplace. This year, Dick Vitale, renowned college basketball commentator and ESPN sports analyst, will be honored with the award for his efforts to promote cancer awareness including his work with The V Foundation, which is dedicated to saving lives by helping find a cure for cancer.
“The Financial Services Cares committee is honored to present this award to Mr. Vitale for his continued dedication to cancer awareness,” comments John Thiel, Head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Chairman of the Financial Services Cares Gala. “He is loved for his work in sports, but even more so loved for his work towards finding a cure. With over 20 years of fundraising for cancer research, his efforts have impacted countless lives.”
“This is such an important night. The financial services community rallies around fighting cancer,” says Kris Kim, Executive Vice President and Division Operating Officer of the American Cancer Society. “This year’s gala represents the continued efforts of the organization, the financial industry and cancer survivors who are coming together to fight this disease that afflicts more than 1.5 million people.”
The American Cancer Society will share a portion of the proceeds from the event to support the Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital for its cutting-edge programs and research.
Last year, the Financial Services Cares Gala raised more than $1.8 million, gathering over $7.2 million to date. Money raised at the annual event helps continue the American Cancer Society’s mission to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://bit.ly/1oYamKt, or contact ACS@cognitomedia.com.
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
