April 28th at the Beverly Wilshire the Taste for a Cure was celebrating its 22nd annual fundraiser. Taste for a Cure raises funds for the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation which is a comprehensive cancer research center. It was a star studded night honoring Yael and Scooter Braun with Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett hosting with special performances by Ariana Grande and James Corden.
As stars like Jennifer Grey, Cameron Fuller, Josh Pence, Matt McGorry, Mark-Paul Gosselear and Fred Savage came down the red carpet, we had a chance to talk about what what brought them out for the evening. There were two responses:
- Someone in my direct life has been affected by cancer and I will do everything in my power to raise funds for research
- Yael and Scooter Braun are amazing people doing amazing work in the cancer research field and we want to show our support for them
One of the most touching stories of the night was Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey who is a thyroid cancer survivor. One interesting fact was that she found out about her cancer during the pre-Dancing With The Stars health screening. Jennifer underwent two surgeries to treat the cancer and then went on to win the coveted Mirror Ball trophy with partner Derek Hough. Jennifer’s story is of survival and now revival.
The honorees of the night Yael and Scooter Braun have a very personal connection to cancer. Yael is founder of “F— Cancer,” which is a cancer education organization she launched in 2009 after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. One of the educational points that inspires Yael is that 90% of cancer is curable when caught in stage 1. Yael’s non-profit helps to create unique digital and on the ground tools and campaigns using technology, humor, and celebrities to enable their community to engage with cancer on a different level. She is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the cancer education and research space. She has Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award and has been a featured participant prominent events including the Summit Series (Washington, D.C. and Miami), SXSW, Forbes Women Summit the Clinton Global Initiative, Big Omaha, TEDWomen, TEDx Vancouver, the United Nations Nexus Conference, and TEDMED and I am quite sure we will see so much more of her in the years to come.