A Multigenerational Success, MSK Spring Ball Raises $1.9 Million To Fight Cancer

The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering (MSK) held its 16th Annual Spring Ball on Thursday night, in the freshly redone ballroom of the Pierre Hotel, where 430 guests came out to support this incredible institution.

The evening’s committee, including the Society of MSK president, Muffie Potter Aston, and the Spring Ball co-chairs Kate Davis, Joanne de Guardiola, Ashley McDermott, Anjali Melwani, Betsy Pitts and Amanda Waldron, worked tirelessly to make the evening a raging success. Sponsored by De Beers, the evening raised $1.9 million in support of the MSK Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives (GCDI) program.

“Cancer is a collaborative disease from the perspective of its care and its cure, often requiring a multidisciplinary approach,” said Aston. “By supporting The Society of MSK, one is supporting cutting edge research, improving patient care and providing educational resources leading to earlier cancer detection.”

The cocktail hour was teeming with friends who were elated to all be in one place, a rare occurrence these past few years.

“This is amazing – it’s like a reunion!” said author and writer Susan Fales-Hill, as Ali Wentworth, Isabel Gillies, Jill and Harry Kargman, Christine and Steve Schwarzman and Deborah Norville greeted each other with enthusiasm.

The ballroom was painted a clean and refreshing white, the perfect backdrop for the stunning tablescapes, with towering flower arrangements in red, orange and yellow notes that matched the napkins and table cloths. Each seat was gifted an individual box of jewelry wipes, courtesy of De Beers. DJ Twilo set the tone: everyone went straight to the dance floor, before sitting to dinner and listening to the program. The evening’s focus was GCDI, with a presentation by its Director, Dr. T. Peter Kingham, on the efforts being made to help the growing number of young cancer victims in Nigeria.

The Co-Chairs are a very devoted group, with huge respect for MSK. Each had been touched by cancer, personally or peripherally, and were filled with gratitude towards MSK.

“For four decades, as a hospital volunteer, a board member, and patient myself, I have seen MSK’s remarkable commitment to getting the best result for each cancer victim,” said de Guardiola. “First and foremost, MSK is about beating the patient’s cancer and about that patient’s quality of life during and after treatment— they truly care and go way beyond what is necessary.”

“MSK is an international leader in global cancer medicine and their important work impacts patients both overseas and nationally,” de Guardiola continued. “We are proud of the New York community for their continued support of this great institution.”

After dinner, Junior Event Chairs Genevieve Davis, Mercedes de Guardiola, Audrey McDermott and Serena McDermott heated up the dance floor with 175 of their friends, while a live saxophone player enhanced the extraordinary playlist personally curated by Ashley McDermott.

“We wanted to change things up this year, make the party more exciting by bringing in the younger generation,” said McDermott. “The Junior Chairs really came through, with an enthusiastic group of twenty and thirty-somethings who brought new energy to the cause and danced with us well into the night. They are the future.”

“I’m honored to be a part of the night’s celebration, and am proud of the success we’ve had in raising funds,” said Audrey McDermott (Ashley’s daughter). “Once you’re aware of the amazing work MSK is doing, you can’t help but want to support them. It is my hope that by introducing my friends to MSK early in our lives and careers, we’re able to support this important cause for decades to come.”