Dr. Jay Calvert & Kris Calvert Named Honorees for Concern Foundation’s 44th Annual Block Party Celebrating “Cancer Crusaders”
Concern
Foundation (www.concernfoundation.org)
for cancer research will host its 44th
Annual Block Party on the back lot of Paramount Pictures Studios in
Hollywood on Saturday July 14th
2018. The annual event will feature multiple stages of live
entertainment, casino style games, live and silent auctions, and
food, desserts and beverages from over 70 of Los Angeles’ best
restaurants and caterers.
This
year marks Concern’s 50th year and since inception, the
organization has awarded over $60 million in salary support to over
750 cancer researchers. While cancer is still one of the
leading causes of death in the world, major strides have been made
and there are more people surviving their cancer than ever before
thanks to such valuable research.
The
annual block party brings together for one evening each summer,
vendors, restaurants, individual donors and sponsors from Los
Angeles, Beverly Hills and surrounding neighborhoods. The anticipated
4,000 supporters will be filling the streets of the iconic New York
back lot at Paramount Pictures Studios, and this year will celebrate
“50 Years of Super Heroes: Researchers, Donors and Volunteers.”
This
year’s event hopes to reach an additional milestone by exceeding
the 2018 goal to raise $2 million to financially support research
focused on immunology-based methods to treating cancer, exceeding
last year’s total of $1.7 million.
In
addition to hosting the various vendors and sponsors, Concern
Foundation each year honors members of the community who have
provided a significant change towards the fight against cancer. This
year, the foundation will honor Dr. Jay and Kris Calvert and their
family as “Cancer Crusaders” for their participation in helping
to conquer cancer through research.
Dr.
Jay Calvert has been named one of Los Angeles Magazine’s “Super
Doctors” consecutively in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He has
appeared on multiple hit television programs including CBS’ “The
Doctors” and OWN’s “Dr. Phil.” Alongside his wife Kris, Dr.
Calvert has openly shared the couple’s personal experience with
cancer, having had prostate cancer affect the lives of both of their
fathers. The Calvert’s 10-year-old son Ace was diagnosed with Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at age four and while he has beaten his
cancer today, ALL can always return and thus, he is never truly
cured. This is the main reason he and his family feel so
strongly about raising money to help find a permanent cure.
“It’s
truly an honor for Concern Foundation to recognize the Calvert family
as this year’s Cancer Crusader honorees for their commitment to
helping provide salary support for cancer researchers and for sharing
their personal story,” comments Derek Alpert, president, Concern
Foundation.
For
50 years, Concern Foundation has pioneered the advancement of cancer
immunology, the study of the relationship between the immune system
and cancer, a field that is now widely acknowledged to hold the most
potential for discovering treatments and prevention for cancer.
With
90-95% of net proceeds going directly to research, Concern Foundation
has made significant strides toward bridging a major gap in research
funding by focusing its grants on young, innovative researchers with
breakthrough ideas.
