On Monday, November 13, 2023, the NF patient community, joined by leading philanthropists, medical professionals, civic leaders, and businesses, will gather at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway, New York, NY) for the 45th Anniversary National Gala. For four-and-a-half decades, CTF has steered the trajectory of NF research and clinical care toward astounding advancement, including the first FDA-approved NF treatment, with more on the horizon. This progress is a testament to CTF’s early trailblazers’ enduring spirit and perseverance, and we are proud to celebrate this progress at this year’s Gala.
An evening of inspiration and celebration, the Foundation will present this year’s Humanitarian Awards to Mark and Michelle Oppenheimer and Jim Thoms and the Thoms family.
Mark and Michelle, co-founders of Modern Executive Solutions, became involved with the Foundation earlier this year, after their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Riley was diagnosed with NF1. Since then, they have dedicated themselves personally and professionally to helping CTF fund groundbreaking NF research and provide the best care possible for our NF patients.
Camille Thoms, Roland and Nicole Thoms’ daughter and Jim Thoms’ granddaughter, lives with NF2-related schwannomatosis. Each year, the Thoms family hosts a Halloween Bash as their way of giving back to the Foundation in the hopes of finding cures for Camille and others like her. Through this event, the Thoms family has been a leader in funding the NF2 Accelerator, a $2.3 million program investing in gene therapy and new drug development for patients like Camille.
Kevin Martin will be named the 2024 National Ambassador. This award is bestowed upon an individual with NF to recognize their courage living with the disorder, and their personal efforts to further the Foundation goals of research, public awareness, and patient support.
The Children’s Tumor Foundation is honored to recognize the legacy of Nick Gilbert, along with the work of the Gilbert Family Foundation in our collective fight to end NF, with the Cloud Carrier Award. We are proud to be partners with the Gilbert Family Foundation in funding groundbreaking NF research including the Optic Pathway Glioma (OPG) Consortium, leading the way in understanding how to treat patients with OPG.
NF is a group of genetic conditions known as either neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. It affects 1 in 2,000 births of all populations, which is about 4 million people worldwide. Anyone can be born with NF, and it affects everyone differently. NF can lead to blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning challenges, disabling pain, or cancer.
We’re also pleased to share that actor/producer Jonathan Sadowski will return as master of ceremonies.
To purchase a ticket or make a donation, please visit ctf.org/gala.
