2009 Breakthrough Ball
On Tuesday, October 20th, CCBF had its annual Breakthrough Ball benefit gala. With the help of 400 guests, we raised over $1.1 million! Toni Braxton, Charles Grodin, and Ted Turner accepted their Breakthrough Spirit Awards, while Jamie Niven lead a very spirited live auction. Charles Grodin kept the guests entertained throughout the evening as our emcee, and Toni finished the night by performing a set of four hits!
The event, and Toni’s performance, was featured in Panache, Good News Broadcast, Hello Beautiful, Charity Happenings, New York Post and New York Social Diary!
The Children’s Cancer & Blood Foundation (CCBF) hosted its annual “Breakthrough Ball” benefit gala on Tuesday evening, October 20, 2009 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Proceeds from this benefit help to provide much needed medication, chemotherapy and other life-saving treatments to children who are patients of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology of New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Former honoree, NFL great Tiki Barber, presented the “Breakthrough Spirit” award to Grammy Award- winning singer Toni Braxton, actor, writer and CBS News commentator Charles Grodin, and media entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner. Charles Grodin, in addition to accepting his award, served as Master of Ceremonies for his fourth year. The evening also featured a spectacular performance by Toni Braxton, who sang some of her classic hits along with her newly released single, “Yesterday”.
Jamie Niven, Vice Chairman, North and South America, Sotheby’s lead a live auction that featured some amazing packages, including a dinner for 10 with Ted Turner and tickets to Super Bowl XLIV. The live auction concluded with a pledge item that raised $75,000 for helping uninsured families pay for chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.
For 57 years, CCBF has been proud to support the extraordinary team of doctors and researchers of the Division. CCBF’s support has attracted and retained a group of world-renowned experts on the treatment of multiple pediatric blood disorders and cancers, including hemophilia, sickle-cell anemia and leukemia. CCBF researchers have received international recognition for their work and are on the cusp of breakthroughs predicted to change the way the medical community treats children with cancer and blood diseases. Each year, physicians treat more than 1,000 children through more than 10,000 inpatient and outpatient visits. No child is ever turned away for services, regardless of his or her ability to pay.