TheGilda Gala,Cancer Support Community Los Angeles’ annual event to benefit its free services for cancer patients and families, is this year presenting actress and author Annabelle Gurwitch with its top honor.
Gurwitch will receive the Gilda Award at the May 28 event, held at The London West Hollywood and hosted by actor Jason Kravits.The honor is named after Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner,who used the Cancer Support Community Los Angeles’ services when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the 1980s. Fellow SNL alum Laraine Newman will make a special appearance at the gala to present the award to Gurwitch, who was diagnosed with stage 4 NSCLC lung cancer in 2020.
Gurwitch has become an advocate in the years since, chronicling her experience of needing support and stepping intomentorship in her bestsellerThe End of My Life is Killing Me. She has been sharing her story on a “Comedy and Cancer Center Unexpected Joys” book tour this year, where she’s been joinedby celeb friends including Andie MacDowell, Bob Odenkirk, Laurie Anderson, Lisa Edelstein andDavid Frankel to help spread the word about support services that are free to both patients and caregivers.
“Free services,which areimportant to our community — who have gone through fires, cuts to benefits at the federal levels and a downturn in the industry — need funding,so this evening of celebration and fundraising seems particularly meaningful this year,” Gurwitch said in a statement.
Also at the event, CSCLA will recognize Scott A. Irwin, MD, PhD, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s Patient and Family Support Program; Ashraf Elsayegh, MD, FCCP, FAASM, medical director of Providence Saint John’s Health Center’s Pulmonary Disaster Relief Clinic; and Battalion Chief Aaron Guggenheim, commander of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Wellness Section.
Cancer Support Community Los Angeles is the founding affiliate for a global nonprofit network with over 200 locations across 50 markets of Cancer Support Communities, Gilda’s Club centers and healthcare partnerships. Along with a free helpline, digital services and education materials, CSC/GCs provide more than $50 million in no-cost support services to patients and loved ones each year.