The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) will be the beneficiary of a May 24 fundraiser by the leveraged finance community to support continued research into better treatments and, possibly, a cure for the skin cancer.
The Fifth Annual Leveraged Finance Fights Melanoma (LFFM) benefit and cocktail evening takes place, starting at 6 p.m., at Rockefeller Center in New York. According to a press release, the event will be hosted by Brendan Dillon of UBS, Lee Grinberg of Elliott Management, George Mueller and Cade Thompson of KKR, Jeff Rowbottom of PSP Investments, and Trevor Watt of Hellman & Friedman.
Besides raising money to advance research, the evening plans to raise attendees’ awareness of the dangers of melanoma, as well as the importance of sun safety and early cancer detection. Skin cancer found in its early stages is highly treatable.
LFFM has raised $5 million in support of the MRA’s global research programs since its inaugural fundraiser in 2012, and more 1,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event, including leaders across the finance industry, banks, and investment and law firs. Tickets, starting at $300 per person, are available for online purchase.
An estimated 80,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma this year – about one new diagnosis every eight minutes – and skin cancer is today the fifth most common cancer in the U.S. Despite considerable advances in treatment options in recent years, new treatments, and a cure, are still needed.
The MRA, formed in 2007 under the auspices of the Milken Institute, has given more than $68 million to research seeking to better prevent, diagnose, and treat melanoma, and all money raised by the charity goes to support its research program.
