Hutch Holiday Gala: $4.8 million and counting

The 37th annual Hutch Holiday Gala raised more than $4.8 million to accelerate Fred Hutch discoveries and treatments in transplantation research.

Held Dec. 1 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, the black-tie Gala featured live and silent auctions, an elegant dinner, and entertainment. It raised most of its millions through a portion of the live auction in which private donors were rallied by a generous, dollar-for-dollar match by The David and Patricia Giuliani Family Foundation.

The Giulianis guided the guests’ attention and support toward Dr. Oliver Press and colleagues in the Clinical Research Division. The Press Lab plans to utilize private funds to combine a series of highly promising innovations for safer and more effective T-cell therapy for lymphomas.

Accompanied onstage by other survivors and scientists including Clinical Research Division Director Dr. Fred Appelbaum, the Giulianis appealed to guests to help Fred Hutch improve survival and quality of life for thousands of patients—and extend the lifesaving power of transplantation to more of the patients who need it.

The silent auction included wine cellar items, trips, and a new "Fund-A-Lab" section that offered opportunities to fund everyday laboratory equipment—such as beakers and a mini-centrifuge—for Fred Hutch scientists.

Hosted by the Grace Heffernan Arnold Guild and the Hutch Holiday Gala board of directors, the Gala drew support from more than 700 business and community leaders in attendance.

Private support is essential to Fred Hutch to pursue early stage, potentially transformative research. To date, the Hutch Holiday Gala has raised $86 million in support of its research. For more information or to make a contribution, visit www.fredhutch.org/gala.