Patient Veronique (Vero) at an MSK Kids Halloween party
The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), composed of more than 120 philanthropist volunteers dedicated to MSK’s mission, raised an extraordinary $6.9 million in the 2023–2024 season.
For more than 75 years, The Society has worked side by side with MSK leadership to raise essential funds for the institution’s top priorities. The Society is currently supporting the six strategic initiatives identified in “The MSK Campaign: Leading Science. Changing Lives.” Its efforts are making an enormous impact, fueling innovations in cancer care, research, and education.
Claudia Taylor Overstrom, President of The Society of MSK
“The Society is integral to MSK’s success — a powerful partner providing essential support for high-potential, high-priority initiatives that truly change the lives of people with cancer here at MSK and worldwide,” says Lisa DeAngelis, MD, MSK’s Chief Physician Executive and Scott M. and Lisa G. Stuart Chair.
Recognizing the unprecedented number of young people being diagnosed with cancer, The Society is funding research through its 2024-2025 Campaign to identify why young people are being diagnosed more frequently with colorectal cancer and develop new treatment options for this growing population.
MSK made history in June 2022 when gastrointestinal medical oncologist Andrea Cercek, MD, and Luis Diaz, MD, Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology and Grayer Family Chair, and their colleagues at the MSK Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer published remarkable results from a small clinical trial for young people with a specific type of rectal cancer. Every person in the study achieved complete remission after being treated with an immunotherapy. Through its Campaign, The Society is helping to fund additional research to ensure that many more people can benefit.
“I am incredibly touched and grateful to The Society of MSK for recognizing the value of my team’s work and investing in an evolving field of cancer research,” says Dr. Cercek. “The Society’s philanthropy will drive MSK’s success in this area, enabling my colleagues and me to take risks and pursue bold ideas to answer cancer’s biggest questions.”
The Society also raised money for other high-priority patient care initiatives for both MSK Kids and adults, and financial support for postdocs. The 2024 Society Spring Ball Initiative funded Artificial Intelligence and Noninvasive Technologies for Oncologic Dermatology, emphasizing the group’s championship of innovation.
While The Society has a deep history within the MSK Giving community of donors, its work is firmly focused on building a better future for every person touched by cancer.
Dr. Cercek holds the Ford Family Chair.
Dr. Diaz holds the Grayer Family Chair.
Dr. DeAngelis holds the Scott M. and Lisa G. Stuart Chair.