2017 Carousel Ball Raises More Than $1.6 Million for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Cancer Immunotherapy Program

Black-Tie Event Also Sets Stage for $1 Billion Fundraising Campaign

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Oct 24, 2017, 12:18 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) 2017 Carousel Ball raised more than $1.6 million to benefit the Hospital's Cancer Immunotherapy program.

Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD, Director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Frontier Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and his wife Sheryl Forste-Grupp (right), are joined at the 2017 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Carousel Ball by immunotherapy patient Paulina and her family. Paulina achieved remission after traveling from Mexico to Philadelphia for CAR T-cell therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A signature fundraiser for CHOP since 1957, the Carousel Ball is a can't-miss event for dedicated Hospital supporters. Held on October 7 and emceed by TODAY Co-Anchor Savannah Guthrie, this year's black-tie event also set the stage for the launch of For Tomorrow's Breakthroughs: The Campaign for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a $1 billion fundraising campaign designed to advance breakthroughs in pediatric medicine.

700 guests danced the night away to live entertainment by Starlight Orchestra, dined on chef-inspired creations by Neuman's Kitchen and enjoyed panoramic views of Philadelphia's city lights. The event was held at the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, CHOP's brand-new, state-of-the-art facility located on the banks of the Schuylkill River. The Roberts Center was created to advance the Hospital's knowledge of genetics, foster collaboration between clinical and research teams and create individualized treatment for children with complex diseases.

"At this year's Carousel Ball, we celebrate the many breakthroughs that have allowed us to define a new frontier in pediatric medicine," said President and CEO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Madeline Bell. "These breakthroughs are changing the lives of children throughout the region, across the nation and around the world, and they would not be possible without the generosity of supporters whose contributions help to keep our research moving forward. Thank you for helping us to shape the future of children's healthcare, starting today."

As the beneficiary of the 2017 Carousel Ball, the Hospital's Cancer Immunotherapy program is the world leader in developing and implementing cutting-edge cellular therapy for children with treatment-resistant cancer. Most recently, world-class clinicians within CHOP's Cancer Immunotherapy program, in collaboration with investigators at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, pioneered therapeutic research that led to FDA approval of the world's first personalized, cellular therapy harnessing a patient's own immune system to treat leukemia.

For more information about the Carousel Ball, please visit: http://carouselball.chop.edu. For more information about For Tomorrow's Breakthroughs: The Campaign for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, please visit: http://www.chop.edu/giving.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 546-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Contact:
Emily DiTomo
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
267-426-6063
[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia