2025 Kristen Ann Carr Fund Holiday Letter

Dear Friends,

As the days grow shorter, we find ourselves reflecting on a year marked by profound loss, deep gratitude, and meaningful progress. It has now been almost one year since we lost Sasha Carr, our co-founder, board member, daughter, sister, mother, and friend. Her commitment to compassion, dignity, and patient-centered care remains woven into every decision we make. 

In Sasha’s honor, and with the deepest love and respect for her legacy, we are establishing a $500,000 endowment in her name. This endowment will support Noah Kahan’s The Busyhead Project, which is launching a statewide Mental Health Initiative in Sasha’s home state of Vermont. This initiative will endow a clinical social worker within a Vermont hospital to deliver consistent, specialized care, including crisis intervention, group counseling, and support for the unique challenges of diagnosis and treatment, for cancer patients.

We are proud to honor Sasha by helping ensure that more people in need will receive the care, comfort, and connection they need and deserve.

Last month, we gathered for A Night to Remember, our annual benefit—and thanks to your generosity, we raised over $500,000. The evening gave us the opportunity to honor two extraordinary champions at Memorial Sloan Kettering: Jennifer Jacobson, Senior Director of Gift Planning, and Nina Pickett, Senior Director (Ret.), Department of Pediatrics. Their guidance, compassion, and leadership have touched countless patients and families and have significantly advanced our mission.

We were also proud to showcase an unforgettable culinary experience, brought together by our new partners at NOHO Hospitality and the talented teams at Lafayette, Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Bar Primi, NOBU, The Bridge at Saugatuck, and Drew Nieporent’s The Daily Burger. 

We remain profoundly grateful to every supporter, donor, partner, and friend whose commitment makes this work possible.

We are honored to introduce the 2025/2026 Kristen Ann Carr Fellows, who will train at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Surgical Oncology Fellow: Ace St. John, MD,  Pediatric Oncology Fellow: Jennifer Schloss, MD, PhD, and  Adult Medical Oncology Fellow: Adel Shahnam, MD.   These exceptional physicians embody the spirit of Kristen’s legacy: excellence, curiosity, humanity, and the unwavering desire to improve outcomes for patients and families. Your support ensures that their training continues to ripple outward—strengthening the field, shaping new discoveries, and touching countless lives across the world.

As we prepare for the year ahead, we do so with immense gratitude. Your generosity allows us to champion cutting-edge sarcoma research, train the brightest emerging clinicians, and offer essential care to patients and families who need us most. Because of you, Kristen’s legacy—and Sasha’s—continues to illuminate a path of kindness, courage, and hope.

Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for believing in our mission. And thank you for helping ensure that brighter days remain ahead for every sarcoma patient and their loved ones. 

Donate today at kristenanncarrfund.org/yearendgiving.

With warmest appreciation,
Barbara, Ilyse, Michael, Alison, and Karen