The Cristian Rivera Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), is thrilled to announce its 15th Annual Celebrity Gala. The event will be held on November 12th at 6:00 p.m. at Cipriani, 55 Wall St, New York, NY.
Sponsors include Goya. RMM Group, Nissan, Patrick B Jenkins & Associates, Pulse International Realty, Maestro Cares Foundation, the Bronx Care Health System, and My Tax Fella.
This star-studded evening will bring together celebrities, supporters, and advocates for a memorable night. It will feature a red-carpet reception, award ceremony, live and silent auctions, and more. The gala will be hosted by board members and celebrities, such as Kenan Thompson, known for his role on Saturday Night Live; Darlene Rodriguez, anchor of NBC’s Today; and Malik Yoba, actor and entrepreneur. Proceeds from the event will support groundbreaking clinical trials at leading institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College. Funds raised will also provide critical support to families affected by DIPG and raise awareness of this devastating condition.
Notable attendees slated to attend in support of the CRF include New York Mets centerfielder Harrison Bader, along with actors Adam Rodriguez, Ramón Rodríguez, and Chazz Palminteri. Adam Rodriguez, known for his roles in CSI: Miami and Criminal Minds, is also a director, screenwriter, and executive producer on projects like The Real Magic Mike. Chazz Palminteri, acclaimed for his work in A Bronx Tale, earned an Oscar nomination for Bullets Over Broadway and remains a prominent figure in film and television. Rising star Ramón Rodríguez has gained recognition for his performances in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Wire.
This year, the Cristian Rivera Foundation is honoring Gleyber Torres, second baseman for the New York Yankees, with the Heroes Award, Susan Lacher, Director of Koeppel Auto Group, with the Vision of Hope Award, and Rafael and Meiling Toro, with the Service and Dedication Award.
The foundation, which is comprised of dedicated volunteers and celebrity board members—including comedian and actor Kenan Thompson, actor Luis Guzmán, undefeated Super-Middleweight boxing champion Edgar Berlanga, Hollywood veteran Malik Yoba, and MLB baseball player Gio Urshela—continues to drive awareness and funding toward finding a cure.
The Cristian Rivera Foundation was created in honor of John “Gungie” Rivera’s son, Cristian Rivera, who was diagnosed with this rare, aggressive pediatric brain stem tumor at just four years old. Since its inception in 2009, the foundation has been committed to finding a cure to help eradicate the disease.
The Cristian Rivera Foundation is one of the nation’s largest financial supporters of research and family support for DIPG. To date, the foundation has donated over $3 million to help find a cure for DIPG and to support families facing this heartbreaking diagnosis.
CRF has funded the clinical trials of Mark Souweidane, M.D. He is the Vice Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery and the Director of Pediatric Neurological Surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a professor of neurological surgery and pediatrics.
Dr. Soweidane has been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors by U.S. News and World Report for four consecutive years (2011-2014), a Top Doctor in the New York Metro Area for ten straight years (2005-2014), and a New York Magazine Top Doctor for five consecutive years (2010-2014). He is nationally recognized in pediatric neurosurgery, with a strong focus on childhood brain tumors. He is a highly accomplished micro neurosurgeon, expert endoscopic surgeon, and compassionate advocate for children.
One patient in these trials, funded by CRF, Lisha Ayala, has seen no growth in her tumor and was the first survivor of Dr. Soweidane's trials. She has lived with DIPG for over 10 years. Before 2012, there were no survivors of DIPG; now, there are five because of this research.