Dana-Farber Cancer Institute receives the 2021 Community Hero Award presented by Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island

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Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is the recipient of the 2021 Community Hero Award. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, received the award on April 10, 2021, at the Make-A-Wish® Gala: Heroes for Hope, a live virtual event. 

The Community Hero Award recognizes an organization or individual providing vital partnership in the Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island mission creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has championed the Make-A-Wish mission for more than 30 years, referring more than 2,500 children in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to experience the powerful impact of a wish fulfilled.

“It is an honor to receive this award that recognizes Dana-Farber’s commitment to create the best possible experience for our patients and their families,” said Glimcher. “We are proud to work with community leaders like Make-a-Wish who share our devotion to patients facing cancer. It is inspiring for all of us at Dana-Farber to do our part to bring joy to a patient’s life as they make and fulfill their wish.”

 The Make-A-Wish Gala featured powerful wish stories, celebrity appearances, awards, entertainment, and auctions. Annually, the event provides vital funding to support the Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island mission of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

“We hold the leadership, physicians, and patient care team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the highest regard. We are profoundly grateful for their heroic role in the community and for their partnership in enriching the lives of wish children with hope, strength, and joy,” said Sean Holleran, Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The gala also featured Alexis Papavasiliou,19, from Osterville, MA. Alexis, who has undergone treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma, wanted to give back to Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic and her wish was highlighted during the Gala program, hosted by emcee Liz Brunner of Brunner Communications.
 

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. It is ranked in the top 5 of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for both adult and pediatric cancer care. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. The Institute provides the latest in cancer care for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world.  

 

About Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A wish can be a spark that helps a child believe anything is possible. In the face of life-threatening medical conditions, wishes help children experience profound joy, renewed strength and resiliency, and lasting hope to keep striving and dreaming for the future. Since granting its first wish in 1987, the organization has fulfilled over 8,500 wishes for children in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Visit Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island at www.massri.wish.org for more information and ways to get involved.


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