The 2022 Gala Honored John Sykes and Included a Performance by John Mellencamp, Raising $1.35 Million for Sarcoma Research and Treatment — Setting a New Record for the Annual Event

Nearing Its $10 Million Goal for The Kristen Ann Carr Center for Sarcoma Treatment & Research, The Fund Also Announces its Surgical and Medical Oncology Fellowships for 2023: Dr. George Li and Dr. Carly Rosemore

NEW YORK, [Jan. 5, 2023] — The Kristen Ann Carr Fund (KACF), an organization that provides funding for the research and treatment of sarcoma as well as the education of physicians and the improvement of cancer patient quality of life, today announced a record-breaking year for the organization’s annual A Night to Remember fundraiser and the addition of two new fellows to its training programs at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK): surgical oncology fellow Dr. George Li and medical oncology fellow Dr. Carly Rosemore.

The A Night to Remember gala has been an annual tradition for 29 years, with an honoree, live music and a premium auction. This year, The Fund honored John Sykes, the president of entertainment enterprises for iHeartMedia and a longtime friend of the KAFC. It was hosted by Drew Nieporent of Myriad Restaurant Group at Tribeca Grill for the 17th year running — where Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Mellencamp gave a special guest performance, captivating the sold-out crowd. Vowing to top the previous record set in 2013, when the gala raised over $1 million for the first time, Sykes delivered on his promise to break it — helping to raise a whopping $1.35 million.

“The Kristen Ann Carr Fund has made so much tangible progress in the research and treatment of sarcoma through its partnership with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and I couldn’t be more honored to play a part in that important legacy,” said Sykes. “Introducing my friend, John Mellencamp, to perform in such an intimate setting was icing on the cake.”

“Year after year, our circle of friends and loyal supporters has expanded beyond what we ever imagined,” added Barbara Carr, co-founder of the KACF, whose daughter succumbed to sarcoma only two years after she was diagnosed with the then little understood form of cancer. “I would like to sincerely thank John Sykes for his generosity and dedication to The Fund since our very beginning, as well as all of the sponsors and volunteers who helped make this A Night to Remember such a huge success.”

Over $500,000 was raised at auction, both at the event and online. The most coveted item was a Telecaster guitar played by Bruce Springsteen several times in 2019, including at A Night to Remember with honoree Danny Clinch, which sold for $41,000. Springsteen has been an avid supporter of the KACF since its inception in 1993, six months following the untimely passing of Kristen Ann Carr, having headlined the organization’s inaugural benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. He was subsequently honored by The Fund at a previous A Night to Remember gala in 1998.

Entering its 30th year in operation, to date, the KACF has funded over 35 doctors to study sarcoma cancers at MSK. Dr. Li was a surgical research fellow at MSK from 2016 to 2018, investigating novel targeted therapies in laboratory models of soft tissue sarcomas with Dr. Sam Singer. Dr. Rosemore is a third year pediatric fellow focusing on the study and treatment of patients with rare pediatric solid tumors. Her future goals are to focus on the care of pediatric patients and to lead early-phase clinical trials that will produce innovative advances in the treatment of these childhood sarcomas. 

In addition to its fellowship programs, the KAFC has built a dedicated sarcoma laboratory, underwritten several grants for former KACF fellows, hosted holiday parties for the MSK pediatric department and more. As previously noted, it is nearing completion of its $10 million fundraising commitment to The Kristen Ann Carr Center for Sarcoma Treatment & Research — a project designed to significantly expand the ability of doctors to make progress in both the lab and in patient care. In fact, all MSK sarcoma patients are now treated through The Kristen Ann Carr Sarcoma Center.

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ABOUT THE KRISTEN ANN CARR FUND

The Kristen Ann Carr Fund provides grants for cancer research and seeks to improve all aspects of cancer patient life with an emphasis on adolescents and young adults. The Kristen Ann Carr Fund honors the life of Kristen Ann Carr (1971-1993), a remarkable young woman who sought life and love. Established at Kristen's request, The Fund continues in her spirit and convictions in its efforts. Learn more at kristenanncarrfund.org