NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – The Kristen Ann Carr Fund (KACF) Event with John Mellencamp and Honoree John Sykes breaks fundraising record. The 2022 Gala honored iHeartMedia President Sykes and raised $1.35 million for Sarcoma Research and Treatment, setting a new record for the annual event.
In addition to breaking the record and nearing its $10 million goal for Sarcoma Treatment and Research, its Surgical and Medical Oncology Fellowships were announced for 2023 for its training program at the Memorial Sloan-Kerring Cancer Center, surgical oncology fellow Dr. George Li and medical oncology fellow Dr. Carly Rosemore.
“A Night to Remember” has been an annual tradition for nearly three decades – with an honoree, live music and an auction. This year, it was in honor of iHeartMedia President John Sykes and a friend of the KAFC. Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter John Mellencamp gave a special performance to the sold-out crowd. In addition, Sykes promised to break the previous record set in 2013 ($1M) by raising $1.35 M.
“The Kristen Ann Carr Fund has made so much tangible progress in the research and treatment of sarcoma through its partnership with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and I couldn’t be more honored to play a part in that important legacy,” said Sykes. “Introducing my friend, John Mellencamp, to perform in such an intimate setting was the icing on the cake.”
“Year after year, our circle of friends and loyal supporters has expanded beyond what we ever imagined,” added Barbara Carr, co-founder of the KACF, whose daughter succumbed to sarcoma only two years after she was diagnosed with the then little-understood form of cancer. “I would like to sincerely thank John Sykes for his generosity and dedication to The Fund since our very beginning, as well as all of the sponsors and volunteers who helped make this A Night to Remember such a huge success.”
Over $500,000 was raised at the auction, both at the event and online. The most coveted item was a Telecaster guitar played by Bruce Springsteen several times in 2019, including at A Night to Remember with honoree Danny Clinch, which sold for $41,000. Springsteen has been an avid supporter of the KACF since its inception in 1993, six months following the untimely passing of Kristen Ann Carr, having headlined the organization’s inaugural benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. He was subsequently honored by The Fund at a previous A Night to Remember gala in 1998.
