In a remarkable display of philanthropy and community spirit, the Be The Match Foundation® celebrated its annual Los Angeles Soirée on August 11 at the Skirball Cultural Center. This event, dedicated to supporting patients battling life-threatening blood cancers and disorders, witnessed an astounding collection of over $327,000 in a single night.
A Night of Hope and Generosity
The funds raised during this event are earmarked for several noble causes. They will be used to offer patient assistance grants, fund pioneering research in the transplant domain, and enhance the diversity of the Be The Match Registry®.
To put the impact of such events into perspective, in 2022 alone, the Be The Match Foundation provided a whopping $6.1 million in grants, benefiting 2,320 patients and their families who required financial aid.
The soirée saw significant contributions from its presenting sponsors, including Kilter Films, steered by the dynamic duo of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Their personal connection to the cause is profound, as their nephew is currently in search of a donor.
The Frischling Family also played a pivotal role in the event. Their matriarch, Cindy Frischling, underwent a life-saving blood stem cell transplant in 2020 after being diagnosed with blood cancer over two decades ago. Through Be The Match, Cindy found her donor, and her successful transplant story now fuels the family’s passion to support the foundation.
Joy King, Chief Advancement Officer of Be The Match and Executive Director of the Be The Match Foundation, expressed her gratitude and admiration for the overwhelming support. She emphasized that the funds raised would significantly bolster their mission to bring hope and support to countless patients and their families.
A Heartwarming Reunion
One of the most touching moments of the evening was the reunion between Manny Jay, a transplant recipient and renowned celebrity stylist from California, and his blood stem cell donor, Wilberto Cancel from Puerto Rico.
Manny, who had been in remission for a decade, saw his leukemia return in 2019. Thanks to the Be The Match Registry®, he found a perfect donor match in Wilberto. Their emotional meeting was a testament to the profound connections formed through such life-saving procedures. Manny’s words encapsulated the sentiment perfectly: “I feel like I’ve known him my whole life, like this is my brother. This is what family looks like.”
For those inspired by these stories and looking to contribute or get involved, more information is available at BeTheMatch.org/LASoiree.
About Be The Match Foundation®
Be The Match® stands as a global beacon of hope for patients with life-threatening blood cancers and disorders like leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell. They connect patients with matching donors for vital blood stem cell transplants.
The Be The Match Foundation® is the fundraising arm that propels this mission forward, ensuring that more potential donors can be added to the registry, patients receive the financial support they need, and groundbreaking cellular therapy research continues to flourish.
For further inquiries, you can reach out to Kate McDermott from Be The Match at kmcdermo@nmdp.org.