Tower Cancer Research Foundation To Posthumously Honor Former NBA Player And Harvard-Westlake Star Jason Collins At Tower of Hope Gala on June 9

As TCRF marks 30 years, the organization continues funding high-risk cancer research while supporting patients in real time

LOS ANGELES, May 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tower Cancer Research Foundation (TCRF), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that funds early-stage cancer research not traditionally covered by conventional systems, announces its signature annual fundraiser, the Tower of Hope Gala, will take place on June 9, 2026, at the Skirball Cultural Center.

Funding and Supporting High-Risk, High-Reward Science
Since its founding in 1996, TCRF has identified and supported early-stage research projects that have made a real impact on cancer research. By acting as angel investors, TCRF supports the industry's emerging talent with early opportunities to take risks and pursue new or unconventional ideas, creating the foundation for future breakthroughs.

On average, a $100,000 TCRF grant helps researchers unlock approximately $1.5 million in follow-on funding. To date, TCRF has invested approximately $12.1 million in cancer research, directly contributing to advancements in cancer treatment and care, including 15 FDA approvals.

At the same time, a cancer diagnosis doesn't pause while research catches up. Magnolia House, TCRF's flagship patient support program, dedicates hundreds of hours annually to helping patients, their caregivers, and loved ones find community throughout their prognosis. This dual focus is precisely what sets TCRF apart.

2026 Tower of Hope Gala: Celebrating 30 Years
The annual fundraiser brings together supporters, scientists, and advocates united by a single conviction: that the most important cancer research – early-stage, high-risk, led by younger scientists with unproven ideas – deserves funding, and the patients living through the disease deserve support every day.

Notably, TCRF will honor Jason Collins, a former 13-year NBA basketball player, league ambassador, and Harvard-Westlake standout. Collins recently lost his battle with a stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

"Tower Cancer Research Foundation was founded 30 years ago because a group of physicians and scientists refused to accept the cost of playing it safe. It is a fact that younger scientists with radical, unproven hypotheses are overlooked for research funding allocation. And yet, the only way to unlock more scientific breakthroughs is to back novel ideas. Our organization exists because early-stage, high-risk science is precisely the research conventional funding systems are least equipped to support. Tower Cancer Research Foundation steps in to support the advancement of these new ideas and innovations," says Matt Zarcufsky, the organization's executive director and chief philanthropy officer.

Previous Tower of Hope gala honorees include Sheryl Crow, Laura Linney, and Jennifer Grey.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.towercancer.org/event/2026-tower-of-hope-gala/.

About Tower Research
Tower Cancer Research Foundation (TCRF) funds early-stage cancer research that conventional systems overlook, backing the scientists and ideas most likely to drive the next generation of breakthroughs. To date, TCRF has invested over $12.1 million in cancer research, contributing directly to 15 FDA approvals. Through Magnolia House, TCRF's flagship patient support division, the organization stands alongside patients in real time, providing free wellness and community services throughout their journey. Funding the future and supporting the present aren't competing priorities at TCRF – they're the same mission. For more information, visit: www.towercancer.org.

SOURCE Tower Cancer Research Foundation