2022 Kristen Ann Carr Fund Holiday Letter
Dear Friends,
Sarcoma claimed Kristen’s life within two years of diagnosis. It was in that short window of time that Kristen‘s amazing legacy began – The Kristen Ann Carr Fund – responding with heart and generosity toward others going through a similar battle. This kindness was met with determination and fierce loyalty by her family, friends, doctors, and nurses.
Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of The Kristen Ann Carr Fund. Establishing The Fund shortly after Kristen’s passing was a leap of faith in the face of insurmountable sadness. Year after year, the circle of friends and loyal supporters expanded beyond what we ever imagined. It amazes us still.
This year’s honoree, John Sykes, has been involved with The Fund from the very beginning. John took on the challenge of honoree and opened his heart to make our annual A Night to Remember event a huge success, raising a record-breaking $1.35 million dollars! For the 17th time, Drew Nieporent and his team from Myriad Restaurant Group welcomed us back with an unforgettable menu from Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Bâtard, Townhouse, and Locanda Verde. The night included a magnificent, intimate show by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. Early in the summer, we held our second Sunset Jam at Danny Clinch’s Transparent Gallery in Asbury Park. Shotgun Curly w/Gnatural put together a fantastic performance for the crowd and Danny, our 2019 honoree, joined them on stage for a few tunes.
Our annual KACF surgical and medical sarcoma fellows at Memorial Sloan Kettering continue to be the cornerstone of what we do. There are now 37 former fellows, experts in sarcoma research, care, and treatment, all around the United States! We are so delighted to welcome our 2023 KACF Fellows to The Kristen Ann Carr Fund Family. This year, Dr. George Li is our surgical oncology fellow. Dr. Li was a surgical research fellow at MSK from 2016-2018, investigating novel targeted therapies in laboratory models of soft tissue sarcomas with our dear friend Dr. Sam Singer. Our medical oncology fellow, Dr. Carly Rosemore, is a third year pediatric fellow focusing on the study and treatment of patients with rare pediatric solid tumors. Her future goals are to focus on the care of pediatric patients and to lead early-phase clinical trials that will produce innovative advances in the treatment of these childhood sarcomas. The KACF is now in the final year of funding our $10 million commitment to The Kristen Ann Carr Center for Sarcoma Treatment & Research, a place where we have expanded care, treatment, study and trials, to help reduce the morbidity and mortality from sarcoma.
Bottom line; our research and medical advancements are enabling patients to live longer and happier lives with their family and friends. This is all possible because of your loyal support and generous contributions over the past three decades. We hope that you will continue your support in the coming year. Together, we will keep moving forward, making a difference for those who need it most. This was our promise to Kristen and we intend to keep it.
With love and gratitude,
