The 2013 Leukemia Ball Features Dana Carvey and Jim Belushi

Flashing lights. Floor-length gowns. A total of $2.75 million raised in one night.

The Leukemia Ball, the largest non-political black-tie event in all of Washington,
DC, happened this past Saturday evening at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
With its mission to ultimately find and fund a cure for blood cancers, it has thus
far raised $45 million for the National Capital Area Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society since 1988.

With the theme of Saturday Night Blues, the 26th annual ball hosted approximately
2,000 attendees this year, in addition to comedian
Dana Carvey and musical guests
Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts band. Past acts have included Diana Ross and Jerry Seinfeld.

The night began with a VIP reception at 6. As photographers trailed Belushi, guests
ordered cocktails and wine at the scattered open bars, and awaited Leukemia Ball co-chairs

Jim Davis and
Candace Duncan to take the podium. Other VIP members present included Loo Katz, host of 97.1 WASH-FM,
executive director of LLS’s National Capital Area Chapter
Gabrielle Urquhart, and
Kathy Planthaber, this year’s Mission Moment honoree who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010.
There were also friends, supporters, and volunteers such as
Matthew Forke, a survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

After the reception, guests could peruse more than 400 silent auction items—including
a basketball autographed by Wizards player
John Wall, exotic getaway trips, and an entire section dedicated to children’s bikes—while
listening to jazz music played by a saxophone, keyboard, and guitar band. Crowds gathered
around the on-display Mercedes 2013 GL450 SUV and the C250 Sport Sedan, which were
to be raffled off later that night for $100 a ticket.

The event in the ballroom kicked off with a rendition of the national anthem before
the evening’s four emcees—local news anchors
Angie Goff (NBC4),
Laura Evans (FOX5),
Anita Brickman (WUSA9), and
Alison Starling (WJLA7)—took the square-shaped stage in the middle of the ballroom. After they announced
the awards for Titans of Business and Philanthropy and Partners Against Blood Cancer,
the emcees encouraged everyone to dig into their dinner: an appetizer of salmon followed
by filet of beef paired with lobster tail and polenta, and raspberry mascarpone mousse
cake. Guests greeted one another with hugs and hellos, weaving through 200 tables
and stopping to take photographs of the blue lighting and tall floral centerpieces.

The lively atmosphere then shifted, as Mission Moment honoree
Kathy Planthaber went onstage. She told her story of being diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer,
and of her devastating relapse this past December. “I was planning my own funeral,
wondering how I wanted to be remembered,” she said, pausing for a moment with tears
in her eyes. After sharing that she is now doing better with declining myeloma numbers
and wishes above all for future retirement with her husband, Greg, Planthaber received
a standing ovation from the crowd.

Soon after, at around 10,
Wayne’s World star and former
Saturday Night Live cast member Dana Carvey entertained guests with his spot-on imitations of politicians
including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush before choosing the two winners of the Mercedes-Benz
giveaway from a silver raffle drum. Finally, to close out the evening, all eyes turned
to Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts Band, who played on the front main stage.

There are about 120 medicines to treat leukemia and lymphoma diseases currently undergoing
trial, and co-chair Jim Davis took the time to remind everyone that the funds raised
to help find a cure truly do make a difference.

In the year 2000, he was just another attendee at the Leukemia Ball, where he found
out that a drug to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) called Gleevec was undergoing
trial. Two years later, he was unexpectedly diagnosed with CML during a routine physical
after a whitewater kayaking trip. Today, Davis remains in remission by continuing
to take Gleevec, the drug he heard about 13 years ago.

He told guests, “I am living proof that your efforts have not been wasted.”

Leukemia Ball co-chairs Candace Duncan and James Davis with executive director Gabrielle Urquhart.

Comedian Dana Carvey.

Jeesoo Park