Leukemia Ball!
On Saturday, we went to the 30th anniversary Leukemia Ball, one of DC's can't-miss events, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Over 2,000 attendees enjoyed performances by Grammy-nominated comedian Jim Gaffigan and music by platinum-selling artist Andy Grammer. We snapped Gaffigan doing his half-hour routine of jokes about being a father of five children and traveling as an American before closing with a riff on his well-known Hot Pockets bit.
The Leukemia Ball is one of Washington, DC’s largest non-political, black-tie fundraising galas and raised more than $4M for the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. Here, Annie Keffer, CSRA’s David Keffer and Louis DeGennaro, president/CEO of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Here are the event’s co-chairs, Wilmington Trust’s David DiLuigi and BDO’s Wayne Berson.
Ed and Donna Offterdinger were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for their years of service raising money to defeat blood cancer. Here are Baker Tilly managing partner Ed Offterdinger, Penney Design Group’s Rui Ponte and Baker Tilly’s Alan Whitman.
Here are the event’s co-emcees, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Lindsay Czarniak and MSNBC anchor and Today Show national correspondent Craig Melvin. The pair's easy on-stage rapport was no coincidence: they are married and joked about being able to get a babysitter for the evening.
The LLS National Capital Area Chapter serves Washington, DC, the Maryland counties of Prince George and Montgomery, and the Virginia counties of Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William. Almost 2,700 patients and families are served by the chapter each year. Here, The Kishter Group’s Neil Kishter and LLS National Capital Area Chapter executive director Beth Gorman.
Andy Grammer performed his hits, like "Keep Your Head Up" and "Honey I'm Good," plus covers of classics like the Jackson Five's "I Want You Back.
The event included a world-class silent auction, with food and drink, travel, sports and other types of giveaways. Here, FOX 5 DC’s Kevin McCarthy, Lauren McCarthy, FOX 5 DC’s Sue Diviney and Ken Diviney.
After the hour-long auction and cocktail hour, guests were treated to dinner of a scallop salad, surf and turf and an assortment of dessert delicacies. Here, Bob Celio, BDO’s Christopher Tower, Sandra-Lynn Berson and Georgetown Law’s Greg Berson.
KSR Petcare’s Karen Rosenberg and Georgetown Law’s Alexandra-Nicole Sényi de Nagy-Unyom.
Project manager Mandy Duvall and Washington Redskins’ Chris Weiner.
Northrop Grumman’s Steve Movius, Beverly Movius, Digital Global Systems’ Fernando Murias and Liz Murias.
