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Lenox Hill Gala raises more than $1.1 million for brain tumor research
Donations and auctions helped raise the funds, which will also help purchase top-of-the-line equipment
Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital’s Brain Tumor Center raised more than $1.1 million during its 10th anniversary gala celebration. The event, which featured live entertainment, a silent auction and an awards ceremony, drew more than 440 guests and honored actor and comedian Pete Davidson, who generously donated $100,000 to fund vital research into advanced treatments of brain tumors.
Hosted by Lara Spencer, co-anchor of Good Morning America, the evening paid tribute to the Brain Tumor Center’s courageous patients and commended the remarkable neurosurgery advancements made over the past decade. Spencer praised this progress and credited the Center’s clinicians for improving the life of her mother, a glioblastoma (GBM) patient of John Boockvar, MD, director of the Brain Tumor Center and vice chair of neurosurgery at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, and one of the stars of the acclaimed Netflix series “Lenox Hill.”
“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of watching our growth from ‘new kids on the block’ to the brain tumor center with the largest investigator-initiated clinical trial portfolio in the nation,” said Dr. Boockvar. “The Lenox Hill Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Center has become not only a leader in research, education and cancer treatment, but also a model of how to run brain tumor centers across the globe.”
Funds generated from the gala will support several of the Center’s initiatives — from the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment to financing groundbreaking research into brain and spinal cord tumor treatments. Proceeds were raised through charitable donations, as well as through silent and live auctions, which, most notably, included tickets to Saturday Night Live, purchased by a guest for $15,000 and matched by Davidson.
“Seeing what you do here at Lenox Hill Hospital is amazing and as much as we can do to get the word out, we should do,” said Davidson. “Being around all these people and seeing what they do every day and how hard they work just to save other people’s lives, anything I can do to help I will do my best.”
Dr. Langer, world-renowned brain surgeon and chair of neurosurgery at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital, shares how his personal experiences shaped his career.
In gratitude for Davidson’s unwavering support, Tamika Wong, MPH, senior director of neurosurgery clinical research at Lenox Hill announced the creation of the Scott Davidson Research Scholar position to honor the life of Davidson’s father, a firefighter who died during the September 11 attacks. The clinical researcher hired for this new role will optimize patient access to clinical trials and implement therapies derived from the Brain Tumor Center’s research.
Dr. Boockvar also presented awards to several honorees, including Kevin J. Tracey, MD, the president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research, in recognition of his contributions to research into immunology and neuroscience. The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories are pivotal in the Brain Tumor Center’s revolutionary research into novel treatments for aggressive brain cancers like GBM, as well as advanced techniques for administering chemotherapy. Dr. Boockvar also honored patients – like GBM survivor Josh Owens — who entrust the Center with their care and participate in clinical trials, which are crucial for advancing scientific discovery and saving lives.
David Langer, MD, chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill and vice president of neurosurgery for Northwell’s Western Region and another star of the Netflix docuseries, expressed his profound gratitude to the patients who entrusted their care to the Brain Tumor Center. Dr. Langer also honored Dr. Boockvar, acknowledging his significant contributions to the neurosurgery team and attributing the evening's success to his "ingenuity, energy, and passion."
The Brain Tumor Center at Lenox Hill Hospital is world-renowned and has been recognized as a leader in the treatment of both adult brain, and spinal cord tumors. Newsweek ranked Lenox Hill among the “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals” for neurosurgery in 2024 and U.S. News and World Report ranked the hospital among the nation’s best for cancer care, neurosurgery and neurology for 2023-2024. In addition, throughout the years, Castle Connolly has named many of the team’s neurosurgeons among its prestigious roster of Top Doctors, a list representing the top seven percent of all U.S. practicing physicians.
Donors to Lenox Hill Hospital’s Brain Tumor Center are supporting Northwell’s Outpacing the Impossible campaign, a $1.4 billion comprehensive fundraising effort to fuel innovation to advance health care and support Northwell’s promise to the people it serves. The campaign, which was publicly launched in 2018, supports capital projects, improves hospitals and clinical programs, advances research and funds endowments for teaching and researching initiatives.
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