Event has raised more than $9k for lung cancer research
What began as a loving tribute to Eddie Collins has become a meaningful annual tradition for his family, friends and community.
In October 2025, Eddie’s wife, Ellen, and daughter, Samantha, hosted the second annual Eddie Collins 5K in Clinton, MA. The event brought together approximately 120 to 130 people and raised an incredible $9,104 for the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.
Sixty-nine participants took part in the 5K run and walk, with many pushing strollers, pulling wagons or bringing their dogs along for the day. Every participant received a complimentary event T-shirt, raffle tickets, an LCRF wristband and a five-ounce pour courtesy of Sterling Street Brewery, which once again served as the event’s host.
Participants and guests were also treated to complimentary water, bananas, clementines and protein and granola bars, while The Taco Dude food truck kept the crowd well fed throughout the celebration.
One of the highlights of the event was an impressive collection of 19 themed raffle baskets. Local businesses and supporters contributed experiences and prizes ranging from brewery favorites and fitness packages to family outings, date nights, spa treatments, seasonal décor and even a fire pit complete with a s’mores-making kit. Two participants were also selected through a random race bib drawing to receive $50 gift cards to a popular sneaker store.
The community’s generosity extended far beyond race day. Twenty-three sponsors supported the event in addition to Sterling Street Brewery, and 16 local businesses provided in-kind donations for raffle baskets and prizes. Attendees could also support the fundraiser by making donations for T-shirts, raffle tickets and bags of kettle corn or by giving directly to the cause.
Together, these contributions helped the Collins family exceed the previous year’s fundraising total and make an even greater impact on lung cancer research.
Remembering Eddie Collins
The event was created in memory of Edward “Eddie” Collins, a proud local of Berlin and Clinton, Massachusetts, who was deeply devoted to his family and community.
Eddie and Ellen married in 1993. He was the proud father of four children — Samantha, Vanessa, Chad and Amanda — as well as a grandfather of 13 and great-grandfather of four.
Eddie was a familiar face throughout the community and the kind of person who rarely went anywhere without running into someone he knew. In April 2023, he was diagnosed with stage 4 small-cell lung cancer. Eddie faced the disease with the strength and determination that defined his life before passing away six months later, on October 3, 2023, at the age of 67.
Through this annual event, Eddie’s spirit continues to bring people together while creating hope for families affected by lung cancer.
Join the Third Annual Eddie Collins 5K
The Collins family is now preparing for the third annual Eddie Collins 5K Charity Road Race on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Sterling Street Brewery in Clinton, MA.
The 5K run and walk will begin at 11 a.m. ET, with race-day registration available from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Participants can expect another memorable day of running, walking, brews, food, raffles and community all while helping fund research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.
Registration is $35 through September 30, then $40 through race day. Event shirts will be provided to registrants.
Whether you run, walk, donate or come out to cheer on the participants, you can help the Collins family continue Eddie’s legacy and advance lifesaving lung cancer research.
Molecular Landscape of Acquired Resistance to Sevabertinib in HER2-mutant NSCLC: Exploratory Biomarker Analysis of SOHO-01
Xiuning Le, MD, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Dr. Le is presenting her work at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Seoul, South Korea on Sept. 15, 2026.Session info
Dr. Le received the 2025 LCRF | Bayer Research Award on Innovative Therapeutic Strategies to Treat Lung Cancers Harboring HER2 Mutations and/or Other HER2 Alterations for her project, Characterization of HER2 Mutations’ Sensitivity to Sevabertinib & Development of Novel Combination Strategies to Overcome Resistance to Current HER2 Therapies.
HER2 mutations are found in approximately 2–4% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and are associated with poor outcomes. Sevabertinib is a targeted therapy designed specifically to inhibit HER2 and has shown promising results in patients with advanced HER2-mutant NSCLC, including both newly diagnosed and previously treated patients.
One important question is why some cancers eventually begin growing again despite treatment. This study analyzed blood samples from patients participating in the Phase 1/2 SOHO-01 clinical trial to identify genetic changes that may help explain how HER2-mutant lung cancers develop resistance to sevabertinib.
Exciting findings so far
Researchers were able to compare blood samples collected before treatment and around the time of disease progression for 73 patients whose tumors had detectable HER2 mutations at the start of treatment. The molecular landscape of most patients’ cancers remained relatively stable; however, researchers identified potential genetic mechanisms of resistance in 22 of them.
The most common potential resistance mechanism was a secondary change in HER2 called T862A, which emerged in 12 of 73 patients, suggesting that T862A may be an important mechanism by which some HER2-mutant cancers develop resistance to sevabertinib.
Importantly, most patients whose disease progressed did not have an identifiable genetic resistance mechanism. This suggests that other processes, including nongenetic or adaptive changes in cancer cells, may also contribute to resistance. C805S mutations were not detected.
What’s next
Researchers are conducting studies in the laboratory and structural modeling to better understand how the HER2 T852A alteration affects sevabertinib’s ability to inhibit HER2.
Because most patients did not have an identifiable genetic cause of resistance to the drug, additional research is needed to understand other ways that HER2-mutant lung cancer cells adapt to escape treatment.
Important to know
The HER2 T862A alteration emerged as the most common potential genetic mechanism of resistance identified in this analysis. However, patients who developed T862A had a similar duration of response and time to disease progression as patients who did not develop the alteration.
The findings presented here are from an exploratory biomarker analysis of the SOHO-01 clinical trial. More studies are underway to determine the significance of the T862A alteration and how it affects the ability of sevabertinib to inhibit HER2.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to sevabertinib for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have HER2 (ERBB2) mutations and who have received prior systemic therapy. This is the most recent oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that has been approved.
Update: On September 9, 2026, the FDA expanded the approval for sevabertinib to include patients who have not yet received treatment.
Why it’s important
Alterations in the HER2 gene have been associated with the development and spread of cancer. HER2 mutations occur in about 2-4% of patients with NSCLC. In the past two decades, several clinical trials have investigated the use of anti-HER2 therapies in lung cancer but have led to disappointing results. Progress was made when in 2022, the FDA granted accelerated approval to trastuzumab deruxtecan for patients with unresectable or metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have HER2 mutations and who have received prior therapy. This drug is an antibody drug conjugate, which is a form of “targeted chemotherapy.” Thanks to continued research, zongertinib (another TKI) was approved earlier this year for previously treated HER2-mutated NSCLC — and now, sevabertinib is the third therapy approved for this rare subtype of NSCLC.
Sevabertinib is an oral TKI that specifically targets HER2 mutations. In the SOHO-01 (NCT05099172) clinical trial, 70 patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with HER2 (ERBB2) mutations who had received prior systemic therapy were treated with sevabertinib. An impressive 71% of the patients had significant shrinkage of their cancer and control of the cancer lasted over 9 months for many of the patients.
Update: In the SOHO-01 trial, 69 patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with HER2 (ERBB2) mutations who were not previously treated received sevabertinib. 75% of patients responded totreatment and in nearly all the patients the cancer was controlled for more than 6 months.
The most common side effect was diarrhea which was managed without the need to discontinue the drug. Other common toxicities included rash and nail changes. The prescribing information also contains warnings for potential liver toxicity, pneumonitis (lung inflammation), eye toxicity, pancreatic enzyme elevation, and embryo-fetal toxicity.
What it means for patients
Sevabertinib represents another advancement in the treatment of NSCLC patients with HER2 mutations. Since this is an accelerated FDA approval, there will be more trials that will be performed to confirm the effectiveness of the drug. It is important that patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC have their tumors tested for HER2 mutations.
What to look for
It is likely that sevabertinib will be evaluated as initial treatment for patients with HER2-mutated NSCLC in upcoming clinical trials with the hope that it will be more effective than chemotherapy as a first treatment. We could also see the evaluation of sevabertinib in combination with other agents such as chemotherapy. It is also important to remember that the drug is unlikely to be a cure for these patients and that there is still an urgent need to continue research efforts to determine why cancer cells are or become resistant to treatment. Expect that the development of novel drugs for this type of lung cancer will continue in the future.
Update: With this latest approval, sevabertinib can now be used as a first treatment option, offering patients a targeted oral therapy earlier in their treatment course.
To learn more about HER2-mutant NSCLC, download this educational resource. If you have questions, you can connect with our Lung Cancer Support Line at (844) 835-4325 or email support@LCRF.org.
Dr. Feng is presenting his work at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Seoul, South Korea on Sept. 13, 2026.Session info
About the research
mSWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes act as an on/off switch for genes cancer cells depend on for survival. The primary goal of this project is to evaluate whether blocking mSWI/SNF is effective for treating KRAS-mutant lung cancer, particularly when resistance to KRAS inhibitors develops. The team is working to decipher the specific genes controlled by mSWI/SNF to help understand why lung cancer cells rely on mSWI/SNF to survive. Several mSWI/SNF inhibitors are currently in human clinical trials – so the team is evaluating the impact of these inhibitors as an approach to treating KRAS-mutant lung cancer.
Exciting findings so far
The most exciting thing so far is that regardless of the specific genetic mutation in the KRAS gene that lung cancer cells carry, inhibiting mSWI/SNF makes existing drugs more potent and effective for longer periods of time.
The team has found that mSWI/SNF cooperates with AP-1 complexes to control gene expression in cancer cells, and that inhibiting AP-1 has a similar effect to inhibiting mSWI/SNF when it comes to making cells more responsive to drug treatment and preventing development of drug resistance.
What’s next
Because of the unexpected finding that the mSWI/SNF complex is necessary for AP-1 to be fully functional in KRAS-mutant lung cancer, and drugs have been developed to target mSWI/SNF (but not AP-1), the team is developing a first-in-class AP-1 specific inhibitor as an innovative alternative approach to treat lung cancer.
In EGFR-mutant lung cancer, mSWI/SNF works in tandem with AP-1 in a similar way and inhibiting either mSWI/SNF or AP-1 can reverse resistance against the EGFR inhibitor, osimertinib. The work from this project has highlighted this across multiple subtypes of lung cancer and more research is needed to determine if these findings can be applied more broadly across other subtypes of lung cancer, such as ALK, MET, and HER2-mutant lung cancers.
Important to know
LCRF supporters play a pivotal role in not only funding important lung cancer research, but in educating others about the progress that researchers are making and how critical financial support is for this progress to continue.
Dr. Feng has recently received a departmental grant as follow-on funding, crediting this LCRF award in helping generate strong preliminary data.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved zidesamtinib for adults with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive (+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received a prior ROS1 inhibitor.
Why it’s important
The ROS1 gene is felt to be important in the regulation of various processes within the cell. A ROS1 fusion or rearrangement occurs when the ROS1 gene combines with part of another gene. The change in the gene can cause uncontrolled cell growth and cancer. The ROS1 gene is altered in about 1-2% of patients with lung cancer, usually NSCLC of the adenocarcinoma type. Patients who are ROS1+ tend to be younger than the average patient with lung cancer and have little to no smoking history.
Zidesamtinib is a next generation oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets the abnormal ROS1 gene and can help slow down or stop the growth of cancer cells. The drug distinguishes itself from some of the other ROS1 inhibitors by being more selective for ROS1 and active against resistance mutations such as G2032R. The drug also has less neurologic toxicity and is active against brain metastases.
The approval of zidesamtinib is based on the results from a global ARROS-1 phase I/II clinical trial in patients with advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC who were previously treated with a ROS1 inhibitor. Among the 117 patients in the study, 44% responded to treatment, including those with resistance mutations and brain metastases. The treatment provided lasting benefit, with 69% of the patients having control of their disease at 12 months.
Zidesamtinib was very well tolerated. The most common side effects associated with treatment included: swelling, peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain/tingling), constipation, fatigue and shortness of breath.
What it means for patients
ROS1 fusions/rearrangements represent an abnormality in the cancer cell that can be treated with “targeted” therapy. Because of its rarity, it is important that patients have biomarker testing done on their cancer to determine if a ROS1 abnormality is present, because zidesmatinib represents another treatment option for patients with ROS1+ NSCLC. Notably, the encouraging responses in patients who have already received many other treatments represents meaningful progress in the treatment of patients with this type of lung cancer.
What to look for
Zidesmatinib represents the results of efforts to develop new and improved targeted therapy for people with ROS1+ lung cancer. Look for trials utilizing this agent as an initial treatment. Future research will be focused on understanding why resistance to treatment occurs and how to better manage side effects. The goal of these research efforts is to eventually find a cure for ROS1+ lung cancer as well as other oncogene-driven cancers. Expect that development of new drugs will continue.
The good news The 7-year outcomes of the CROWN Trial were presented at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.
Why it’s important Lorlatinib is a third generation ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI, a targeted therapy). The CROWN study is a Phase 3 trial in which 296 ALK+ patients received either crizotinib, a first generation ALK-TKI, or lorlatinib. The initial results of the trial showed that lorlatinib was superior to crizotinib (Shaw A, New England Journal of Medicine, 2020) and it is FDA approved for the treatment of metastatic ALK+ NSCLC. The update presented at the ASCO meeting revealed that after 7 years of follow-up, the median time of disease control, or progression-free survival, was not yet reached for lorlatinib and was 9.1 months for the patients treated with crizotinib. At 7 years, 55% of the patients receiving lorlatinib still had no progression of their disease. Loratinib also demonstrated both superior control of existing brain metastases and a reduction in the eventual development of brain metastases. No new progression of brain metastases was reported after patients were on lorlatinib for the first 30 months.
What it means for patients Lorlatinib is very effective in the treatment of patients with advanced ALK+ NSCLC. Of importance is its ability to control existing brain metastases and prevent the development of new central nervous system (CNS) disease. There were no new side effects of concern related to the longer time on treatment. Patients who required a reduction in the lorlatinib dose did just as well as those who tolerated the full dose. Patients should always discuss risks and benefits and options for treatment with their Oncologist.
What to look for Now at 7 years, there is no doubt that the benefit of lorlatinib is substantial for most patients with ALK+ lung cancer. We must not rest on our laurels since the vast majority of patients are not ultimately cured. It will also be important to continue to develop ways to manage side effects associated with the treatment.
The good news Three of the top five presentations at the plenary session of the annual ASCO meeting could potentially impact lung cancer treatment. These presentations typically spotlight major findings that should be heard by the entire group of attendees.
The results of two lung cancer trials – LIBRETTO-432 and HARMONi-6 – were presented along with a very important pancreatic cancer study, RASolute 302.
Together Separately livestream
Watch the recording of our June Together Separately livestream, which covered lung cancer news from the 2026 ASCO meeting.
Why it’s important LIBRETTO-432 is a study that evaluated selpercatinib in patients with early-stage RET fusion-positive (RET+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had already completed surgery or other local therapy, like radiation and in some instances chemotherapy. Selpercatinib is an oral RET inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced RET+ NSCLC. RETfusions occur in 1-2% of patients with lung cancer, usually adenocarcinoma, and is more common in younger individuals with little to no smoking history. The goal of this trial was to determine whether this targeted therapy, selpercatinib, given to patients with early stage (1B-3A) RET+ lung cancer in the adjuvant setting (or after surgery) could reduce the risk of the cancer returning. The study found that at 24 months, the Event-Free Survival (time from start of treatment until disease progression or death from any cause) was 91.5% with selpercatinib and 61.1% with placebo – a clinically meaningful difference.
What it means for patients Selpercatanib is already being used in advanced RET+ NSCLC. It now can be used in patients with earlier stage cancer after local treatment with surgery or radiotherapy to help control the cancer for a longer period of time. This represents another major advancement in the treatment of RET+ lung cancer, and selpercatinib joins other targeted therapies (specifically, osimertinib in EGFR-mutated lung cancer and alectinib in ALK-positive lung cancer) for the treatment of early-stage disease. Side effects of treatment were as expected with no new concerns. Overall survival results are awaited but it is likely that the survival advantage for selpercatinib treatment will be maintained.
What to look for The LIBRETTO-432 trial will change clinical practice in the treatment of early-stage RET+ lung cancer. Questions still remain when using targeted therapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery or radiation. For example: What is the role of chemotherapy? How long should a patient be treated? Hopefully, future trials will give us answers to these questions.
HARMONi-6
Why it’s important Ivonescimab is a bispecific antibody (a type of treatment designed to attach to two different targets at the same time) that blocks both PD-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Blocking PD-1 reverses the suppression of the immune system, and blocking VEGF disrupts the formation of the blood supply to the cancer. In the HARMONi-6 trial, over 500 patients with advanced squamous cell cancer received either ivonescimab and chemotherapy, or tislelizumab (immunotherapy) plus chemotherapy. After nearly 2 years of follow-up, patients who received ivonescimab and chemotherapy lived 4 months longer than those who were treated with immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
What it means for patients Ivonescimab is not yet approved for treatment in the US. The HARMONi-6 trial was performed entirely in China with a population of more male, younger patients. Thus, we await results from a large global study with a more diverse population. The side effects associated with immunotherapy and chemotherapy are well known, and no new problems were seen. Because it blocks VEGF, ivonescimab can cause additional side effects such as hypertension (high blood pressure), bleeding, and protein in the urine – however, all of these were low grade and easily manageable. This trial is of particular importance considering no prior significant advances have been made to treat patients with squamous cell lung cancer, and this remains an area of great need.
What to look for We await the results of additional trials with ivonescimab to see if it will continue to benefit and advance the treatment of patients with squamous cell lung cancer. Because ivonescimab is a bispecific antibody, meaning it works in two different ways to help stop cancer growth, it is also being studied in other types of lung cancer.
RASolute 302
Why it’s important Pancreatic cancer has been a very difficult disease to treat for many years. RAS is the most commonly mutated oncogene in human cancer, found in 20% of all human cancers. RAS mutations drive over 90% of pancreatic ductal carcinomas. Daraxonrasib is an oral RAS(ON) inhibitor that blocks RAS, a protein that can drive cancer growth, when it is active. In the RASolute 302 trial, patients with advanced, previously treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma received either daraxonrasib or standard chemotherapy. The patients who received daraxonrasib had a 31% shrinkage of their cancer compared to 11% for those that received chemotherapy – and most importantly they lived twice as long (13.2 months versus 6.7 months).
What it means for patients The results of this trial are a major breakthrough for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The presentation received a standing ovation at the ASCO meeting. But what does this mean for patients with lung cancer? RAS mutations – particularly KRAS – are very common oncogenes in lung cancer and are considered one of the most difficult drivers to target. The hope is that agents like daraxonrasib will also be effective in treating RAS-mutated lung cancer as well.
What to look for Expect to see daraxonrasib being tested in other RAS-mutated cancers!
Although the results of these trials represent significant advancements, there is more work to be done. More research with new agents will be conducted to try and further improve outcomes for all these patients.
Sold-out event at Richland Country Club unites music community, patients, and researchers for lung cancer research
NASHVILLE, TN — June 11, 2026 — The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) hosted its inaugural ‘Here Comes Summer’ benefit in Nashville on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Richland Country Club, raising $185,000 to date in critical funds for lung cancer research while honoring the life and legacy of legendary entertainer Donna Summer, who passed away from lung cancer in 2012. Because Nashville was her home for many years, it is especially fitting to honor her in Music City. The sold-out evening brought together members of the Nashville music, healthcare, and business community, cancer researchers, clinicians, and patients for a night of purpose-driven celebration.
The program featured remarks from lung cancer experts and patient advocates, a Donna Summer tribute video, a live auction and paddle raise led by Matt Rogers, widely known as the Voice of the Tennessee Titans, and a presentation honoring the Sudano family for their dedication to advancing lung cancer research in Donna Summer’s memory.
Among the many distinguished guests, Debby Boone, a longtime client and friend of Susan Munao, and Hunter McVey, cast member of the hit television series Nashville 911, also joined the evening’s program.
Here Comes Summer was also featured on N Good Company by NFocus magazine.
An Evening of Purpose: Honoring Donna Summer’s Legacy
Event Chair Susan Munao, who was Donna Summer’s longtime manager, collaborator, and close friend, opened the evening with deeply personal remarks about the losses that led her to this mission: “This is more than fundraising. it’s about building a community of people who refuse to accept the status quo. A community that believes patients and families facing lung cancer deserve better, and we are committed to accelerating that progress.”
Ms. Munao spoke candidly about the disease’s reach into her own life: losing both her sister and her closest friend and client to lung cancer, and more recently learning of a former sister-in-law’s diagnosis. Her remarks brought a sharp personal urgency to the evening’s mission. “That call was a wake-up call for me. For the first time, I asked myself whether I should be screened. I learned that many people who may be at risk don’t qualify under current screening guidelines, me included. So I decided to pay for the CT scan myself. But it left me with a question: How many others are out there who don’t know they’re at risk? That’s why I’m on a mission. We need better ways to identify risk. We need early detection. We need more research.”
Honoring the Sudano Family
One of the evening’s more poignant moments came when Grammy-winning producer and arranger Michael Omartian and his wife Stormie Omartian, dear friends of Donna Summer and Susan Munao, presented a special recognition to the Sudano family for their dedication to advancing lung cancer research in Donna Summer’s name. Donna’s eldest daughter, Mimi Dohler, and her first granddaughter, Vienna, accepted the honor on behalf of the family.
Susan Munao, Stormie and Michael Omartian, Mimiand Vienna Dohler
Mimi Dohler, addressing the audience with a reflection on her mother’s diagnosis and the ripple effect of lung cancer on their family, said, “Lung cancer leaves a legacy too. It’s a ripple effect that extends far beyond the patient—whether it’s your mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, child, or friend. This disease changes lives forever… That’s why we can’t stop pushing for progress. Research gives us hope. Early detection saves lives. And every investment made in research today creates the possibility of a better outcome for someone tomorrow.”
Donna Summer’s husband Bruce Sudano, unable to attend from Italy, sent a personal message read by Mimi during the program: “It’s such a great thing that Susan Munao is creating here, sounding the alarm of early detection for lung cancer. God bless Donna Summer and God bless us all.”
A Moment on Progress in Lung Cancer Research
David Spigel, MD, President and Chief Medical Officer of Sarah Cannon Research Institute and a member of LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board, brought an on-the-ground perspective to the state of lung cancer research, drawing on patient stories from his own clinic as well as major findings presented the previous week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago. He remarked, “When I started 23 years ago, there were really no treatments for lung cancer. My attending told me it didn’t matter which treatment we chose. That was in 2000. That kind of answer makes no sense anymore because there are so many ways to help people with lung cancer today.” Dr. Spigel went on to say, “Research is just integral to lung cancer care. The science is there. We can understand targets, we can design drugs, we can run trials. But all of this takes effort and investment. Your support of lung cancer research is an important piece in that fight, not just here in Nashville, but across the world.”
Patient Speaker: “Research Is Time”
Patient advocate and lung cancer survivor Stephen Huff delivered one of the evening’s most moving addresses. Diagnosed at age 29 with stage 4 lung cancer, despite being a non-smoker and former professional baseball player, Huff shared how targeted research changed the course of his life. “When I was diagnosed in 2017, the future felt very uncertain. My doctors tested my tumor and discovered that I have a specific genetic alteration called ALK-positive. Because researchers had spent years studying that mutation, there was actually a targetable treatment. This treatment has given me time—time to celebrate anniversaries, to continue building my career, to become a father. Today, Emily and I have two beautiful young children.”
Stephen Huff
Huff spoke with conviction about the direct relationship between donor investment and patient outcomes. “The reason I’m standing here tonight is because years before I was diagnosed, someone invested in research. Someone donated. Someone funded a grant. Someone believed in an idea before they even knew whether it would work. And because they did, a scientist had the opportunity to ask a question that ultimately discovered what is changing my life,” he said. “Research isn’t abstract. Research is bedtime stories to my daughter. It’s getting to watch my son play baseball. Research is time. Your generosity has a face, it has a family, it has a story. I’m one of them.”
The event was made possible through the generosity of sponsors including Ascension Saint Thomas, AstraZeneca, Creative Audio, Hearn Charitable Foundation, Outback Presents, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Rubicon Founders, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Soundcheck Nashville, Stephen Brush, The Sudano Family, Tennessee Oncology, Universal Music Enterprises, and many additional individual and organizational supporters.
Reflecting on what the evening represented, LCRF Executive Director Aubrey Rhodes said, “The Nashville community continues to show what is possible when people come together around a shared purpose. Every dollar raised and every person involved in this event helps move us closer to a future where more lives are saved from lung cancer. We are deeply grateful to the volunteers, sponsors, donors, and advocates who make this progress possible.”
Click a photo to enlarge. (More photos to come!)
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About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 450 research grants, totaling nearly $53 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information about the LCRF grant program and funding opportunities, visit lcrf.org/research.
About Donna Summer Donna Summer was one of the most influential and groundbreaking artists of the modern music era, with a career that transcended genre and helped shape the sound of popular music for generations. A five-time Grammy Award winner, six-time American Music Award winner, Academy Award honoree for “Last Dance,” Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Summer achieved more than 130 million albums sold worldwide and remains an enduring cultural icon.
Her historic achievements include becoming the only solo artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts, the first female artist to have four No. 1 singles in a 12-month period on the Billboard Hot 100, the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, and the first-ever recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. Her timeless catalog includes “Love to Love You Baby,” “I Feel Love,” “Last Dance,” “MacArthur Park,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls,” “Dim All the Lights,” “On the Radio,” and “She Works Hard for the Money.”
Her Tony-nominated Broadway musical, ‘SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical,’ continues to celebrate her life and music, and the documentary ‘Love to Love You, Donna Summer’ premiered in 2023.
Contacts: For the LUNG CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION (LCRF) Aubrey Kuhn, BRG Communications | (734) 548-5575 | akuhn@brgcommunications.com Event Contact: Jeremy Westby, 2911 Media | (833) 537-2911 | jpw@2911.us
Our experts for LCRF’s June livestream joined moderator Isabel Preeshagul, DO, MBS, to talk about the lung cancer news coming out of this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
Logan Roof, MD, MS, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
LCRF publishes a quarterly e-newsletter highlighting the latest developments in the lung cancer space and announcing upcoming events. The e-news also features stories from patients and supporters.
