American Cancer Society Discovery Ball Raises ­­­­$2.16 Million In the Fight for Health Equity

CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Discovery Ball hosted by the American Cancer Society celebrated their 15th anniversary at the Hilton Chicago this past October. The evening included live entertainment, raffles, an auction, but most importantly, raised $2.16 million contributed to the fight for health equity.

With the theme of the event being "Be a H.E.R.O. Tonight", fellow Chicagoans passionate about the fight against cancer joined the Society to be the heroes needed to help move us closer towards equal and just care for all regardless of how much money they make, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their disability status, or where they live.

The American Cancer Society is committed to continuing the fight for health equity. ACS has funded more than 550 grants totaling more than $300 million in health equity and disparities research, implementing cancer control interventions, and partnering with community organizations and coalitions to help those most in need.

"Cancer can affect anyone, though not everyone has equal access to treatment or resources to assist with recovery," said Tyler Prince, EVP Salesforce and 2021 ACS Discovery Ball Co-Chair. "Everyone deserves a fair and just opportunity to live a longer, healthier life, and that is why it is so important to support the American Cancer Society's work to advance health equity.

"We're proud to support the American Cancer Society and its mission to free the world from cancer," shared Joe Lacher, Kemper Corporation president, CEO and chairman, and 2021 ACS Discovery Ball Co-Chair. "Cancer touches all of us in some way and raising awareness among all communities is critical if we are to further reduce deaths from cancer." 

Among the evening's many highlights included a special appearance by American Cancer Society's top leadership, CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen and National Board Chair, John Alfonso, and a special performance from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, Cheap Trick. Matthew Rodrigues and Cortney Hall, co-hosts of Chicago Today on NBC, served as the event's emcees keeping guests laughing throughout the evening's program.

Further accolades were given to Philanthropic Honoree, Godard Abel; Leadership Honoree, Jeff Liljeberg; and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois as the recipient of the event's annual Corporate Partnership Award in recognition of their extraordinary leadership and fundraising support.

The ongoing success of the American Cancer Society's Discovery Ball is rooted in a strong foundation of corporate support. This year, that support was led by Co-Presenting Sponsors, Kemper and Salesforce, and Discovery Sponsors, G2, OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare.

In addition, Aon, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Boeing, Cisco, Dell Technologies, HMR Designs, ITW, KPMG and Slalom came in as Platinum Sponsors.

Gold Sponsors include Abbott, Accenture, ADM, Advocate Aurora Health, AMITA Health, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, CDW Corporation, Deloitte Digital, Ernst & Young LLP, Genentech, IBM, Institutional Insurance Group, The Martin-Brower Company, NiKnack Marketing, PwC, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, University of Chicago Medicine, and Voya Investment Management.

For more information on how the American Cancer Society is fighting to close the health equity gap, visit acsheroes.org.

About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is on a mission to free the world from cancer. We invest in lifesaving research, provide 24/7 information and support, and work to ensure that individuals in every community have access to cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. For more information, visit cancer.org.

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SOURCE American Cancer Society in Illinois