About the Event
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 7PM - 10PM
NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB
Brain tumors are no laughing matter... but sometimes laughter is the best medicine.
Join us on Tuesday, October 14, for our annual comedy night fundraiser in support of pediatric brain tumor research. The event draws 300 attendees from New York City and the surrounding areas to enjoy performances by famous comedians, including Jim Gaffigan in 2018, special Tony-Award winner, Freestyle Love Supreme in 2021, Jordan Klepper and Roy Wood Jr. from The Daily Show in 2022, Michael Kosta in 2023, and comedic illusionist Josh Beckerman in 2024, among many others. The 2025 lineup will be announced soon!
This unique event is essential in supporting the important research of Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield and Dr. Mark Souweidane. They co-founded the Children’s Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Medicine to enable the scientific discovery of safer, more effective treatment options. This event is critical in funding this groundbreaking research that will improve outcomes for all children diagnosed with brain tumors. It is the support of generous sponsors and ticket holders who bring HOPE to these children and their families facing the heartbreaking diagnosis of a brain tumor.
ADDITIONAL SPONSORSHIP DETAILS
IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND, PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION
Our Honoree
NANCY GOODMAN, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIDS V CANCER
Honoring Her Unwavering Advocacy in Memory of Her Son, Jacob
We are honored to present Nancy Goodman with an award for her advocacy at the 2025 “No Laughing Matter” gala, recognizing her unwavering commitment to ensuring that children with cancer receive the treatments and hope they so richly deserve.
Nancy Goodman is a passionate advocate whose relentless pursuit for advancing discovery has redefined the landscape of pediatric cancer research and drug development. She founded Kids v Cancer in 2009, following the heartbreaking loss of her son, Jacob, to medulloblastoma at the age of 10. She has since been on a mission to drive change at the legislative level, becoming one of the most effective voices in advancing treatments for children with cancer.
Under her leadership, Kids v Cancer spearheaded the Creating Hope Act, enacted in 2012, which established the FDA’s pediatric priority review voucher program. This innovative policy incentivized pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare pediatric diseases, with over $1 billion in vouchers traded, including one valued at $350 million.
Nancy also championed the RACE for Children Act, passed in 2017, mandating that companies developing targeted cancer therapies for adults must also evaluate their applicability for children.
Her advocacy has garnered significant recognition, including the 2015 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation and the 2019 AACR Distinguished Public Service Award. Nancy has served on the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Counselors and the FDA’s Pediatric Subcommittee of the Oncology Drug Advisory Committee.
A former international trade lawyer, Nancy holds a JD from the University of Chicago and an MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Michael Froman, and their children, Ben and Sarah.
The Team
Event Committee
Tara Lipton • Anthony Trimarchi • Ivan and Ana Tornos • Louis and Cindy Campbell • Dr. Jeffrey P. Greenfield and Dr. Caroline Baker Long • Kathleen O'Connell • Dr. Mark Souweidane and Dr. Caitlin Hoffman • Shirah Dunphy • Tina Peloquin • Michael Minter and Emma Hill • Kyle Fisher • Robert and Dana MacNaughton • Tessa Naso • Amelia Whitmire • Pete and Mary Zappulla
About the Beneficiary
The Children's Brain Tumor Project (CBTP) is a research initiative founded in 2012 by Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield and Dr. Mark Souweidane at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine. The CBTP Foundation is the only certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is 100% committed to funding this initiative.
The mission of the Children's Brain Tumor Project is to improve outcomes for children with brain tumors by advancing scientific discovery and clinical research that focuses on targeted therapy, effective drug delivery, and low treatment-related toxicity. The Children’s Brain Tumor Project has a single goal: to bring hope to children and their families who are confronted with the diagnosis of a rare and often incurable brain tumor.
Rare pediatric brain tumors have been grossly neglected in the research landscape for years, and the Children’s Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Medicine has emerged as the go-to research entity that has established a niche in developing new protocols for treating these children. We believe children from all over the world should have access to innovative options beginning with world-class, minimally invasive surgery, and extending into targeted treatment options centered on precision medicine and drug delivery approaches that would not otherwise be available to them.