LOS ANGELES – October 25, 2019 – Visionaries and revolutionaries in medicine, philanthropy, tech, education, art and entertainment gathered at the fourth Rebels With A Cause gala on October 24 at The Water Garden in Santa Monica. The intimate evening was held in support of the lifesaving research led by Dr. David B. Agus, MD, Founding Director and CEO of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC (“Ellison Institute”). Larry Ellison, Co-Founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of Oracle, was the surprise honoree for the evening. Recognized for his generous support through the years, Ellison was celebrated with a standing ovation and the first-ever Rebels With A Cause Award, designed by Chopard.
Prior to honoring Ellison, Dr. Agus praised his friend, stating “[He’s] one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Every day I thank him for his love for discourse to push for knowledge and truth. I thank him for allowing me to learn from him. Cancer continues to affect us all and we’re obligated to think outside of the box. With Ellison’s support and the $12.1 million raised this evening, we’re able to continue developing innovative programs at the Ellison Institute that our patients need today.”
Co-chaired by Lynne and Marc Benioff, Founder, Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce, Rebels with a Cause was emceed by Tony Award winner James Corden, host of The Late Late Show, while sixteen-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster returned as the gala’s Musical Director. Guests were delighted by an up-close magical act from David Blaine and musical performances by David Foster with Pia Toscano and none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The gala was produced and designed by AOO Events with Don Mischer Productions producing the program and a seated dinner provided by Très LA.
Those who attended the gala and supported the Ellison Institute have helped to dramatically advance its research at this critical time by raising $12.1 million for the cause. Funds from the evening will go towards the Ellison Institute’s continued efforts to discover and enhance the most effective cancer treatments that will benefit patients who are in urgent need of new therapies.
Slated to open later this year, the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC’s new state-of-the-art facility is located at 12414 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064. For more information, or to make a donation to further the Ellison Institute’s research, please visit https://eirf.org/.
About the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC
The Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC
combines interdisciplinary research with the prevention and treatment of
cancer. David B. Agus, professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the
USC Viterbi School of Engineering, leads the institute as the Founding Director
and Chief Executive Officer. Under Agus’ guidance, the Ellison Institute’s
research focuses on the application of proteomics (the study of the body’s
proteins) and genomics, mathematical modeling, integrating clinical trials,
pre-clinical studies and molecularly targeted therapy, which focuses on
molecular and cellular changes specific to cancer. The Ellison Institute uses
all of these techniques to determine which cancer therapies are likely to work
best for individual patients, allowing physicians to customize treatment for
each patient’s cancer.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ballantines PR for the Ellison Institute [email protected]
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