SEATTLE — Dec. 6, 2004 — Attendees of the Grace Heffernan Arnold Guild's 29th annual Hutch Holiday Gala to benefit Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center raised $4.9 million to benefit the center's cancer research and patient family programs. The giving was led by The Moyer Foundation's $1.5 million donation to Fred Hutchinson's The Gregory Fund®, a collaborative initiative between the two organizations to advance early cancer-detection research. Gala guests were challenged to meet the foundation's gift, and they rose to the occasion by pledging more than $2 million in response.
"We are deeply grateful for The Moyer Foundation's donation and the generous gifts we've received to support research at Fred Hutchinson," said Nobel laureate Dr. Lee Hartwell, president and director of Fred Hutchinson. "Private funds raised by the Hutch Holiday Gala are vital as we continue to make new advances in cancer research and strive toward our ultimate goal to eliminate cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death."
More than 850 community leaders attended the gala, held Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers. This black-tie event featured an elegant six-course dinner, late-night dancing, and spectacular live and silent auctions. Guests engaged in bidding wars over several unique auction items that were featured at the gala, including the following:
- General Motors 2005 Cadillac STS that sold for $60,000
- Dinner at the gala prepared exclusively for one winning table by chef Greg Johnson, former private chef for Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen sold for $8,000
- Extreme Home Makeover packages for interior design and kitchen remodeling raised a total of $16,500
- Marilyn Monroe dress, originally acquired through a friend of Susan Strasberg, Monroe's former roommate, raised $20,000
- Trip for Two to Peru with World Vision, for a hands-on experience with the relief organization to help others sold for $10,000
Including tonight's total, the gala has raised more than $41.38 million for cancer research and patient programs at Fred Hutchinson.
"The support raised at the 29th annual Hutch Holiday Gala leads us into an incredibly exciting 30th anniversary year for Fred Hutchinson in 2005," said Carl Behnke, chair of Fred Hutchinson's board of trustees. "We're extremely thankful to our supporters and look forward to celebrating the achievements the center and gala have made during the past three decades."
According to the American Cancer Society, 563,700 Americans will die of cancer this year — that's more than 1,500 a day. Seed money, received by private organizations and individuals, helps pave the way for securing large-scale federal grants and speeds the research that could make potentially lifesaving discoveries.
Media Note
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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home of three Nobel laureates, is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the center's four scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. Fred Hutchinson, in collaboration with its clinical and research partners, UW Medicine and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest and is one of 40 nationwide. For more information, visit the center's website at www.fhcrc.org.
Hutch Holiday Gala
The Grace Heffernan Arnold Guild, which hosts the annual Hutch Holiday Gala, along with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has raised more than $41.38 million to support the following research and patient-family programs: human biology, pediatric oncology, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Hutch School, public health sciences, lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma research, Hartwell Innovation Fund, early detection/ovarian cancer research, and other research equipment and patient needs. For more information, visit the Gala's Web site at http://www.hutchgala.com.