On January 28, the Christina Renna Foundation (CRF) held its 16th annual Angel’s Wish Gala in Woodbury, NY. This year’s event raised over $30,000 to support Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) ongoing rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) research. RMS is a rare and often fatal form of pediatric cancer affecting muscle, bone, and connective tissue. The event honored CSHL Professor Christopher Vakoc with the 2023 CRF Research Award for his leadership of the Laboratory’s Sarcoma Research Project.
“Rhabdomyosarcoma is a central focus of my lab, and the path for developing drugs for this tumor has become very clear to us thanks to support from organizations like the Christina Renna Foundation,” he says. “We’re determined to help improve the lives of RMS patients and their families.”
Since 2007, the Foundation has donated over $400,000 to CSHL’s sarcoma research. This includes more than $65,000 raised in the last year alone. The Vakoc lab has made several important discoveries in RMS and other sarcomas. Their findings have led to clinical trials for several cancer drug candidates.
Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | wurm@cshl.edu | 516-367-5940