Thank you to everyone who made our 36th Annual Awards Gala such a smashing success!
We raised over $1.3 million for cancer and AIDS research.
Please see below for all the details, and click here for some great photos.
See you next year!

T.J. MARTELL FOUNDATION 36th HONORS GALA RECOGNIZES
ENTERTAINMENT AND BUSINESS LEADERS IN NEW YORK
AND RAISES A RECORD $1.3 MILLION FOR CANCER RESEARCH

New York, New York…November 4, 2011 The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research celebrated its 36th Annual Honors Gala on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York. This year the foundation presented the Humanitarian of the Year Award to Bea Perez, Chief Sustainability Officer for the Coca-Cola Company. The Spirit of Excellence Award was presented to Scott Borchetta, Chief Executive Officer of Big Machine Label Records. The Lifetime Philanthropic Award was presented to Arnold Palmer, Golf Legend and Philanthropist and the Chairman’s Award was presented to actor and comedian Drew Carey.

Among the many celebrities attending were Daytime TV’s icon, Susan Lucci,, Grammy winning country group Rascal Flatts, Donald Trump and his wife Melania Knauss, The Simpsons’ Sam Simon, Will i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, jazz great Allan Harris and American Idol’s Robbie Rosen. Performances included Darius Rucker, The Voice’s Javier Colon and Martina McBride.

Many of the nights memorable moments occurred inside the gala. Tony Martell, founder of the T.J. Martell Foundation spoke of his late son and his legacy within the organization, often telling the crowd “life happens when you don’t expect it.” The Voice’s Javier Colon opened the performances after talking briefly on stage and dedicating his performance to his mother who has survived a stage 4 cancer diagnosis for now over 10 years. Darius Rucker was a presenter for legendary golf pro Arnold Palmer and spent time telling his own personal story of how the Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Florida helped his young niece Carly battle a form of cancer which has been treated at the hospital bearing Palmer’s name. Comedian Drew Carey, who accepted his honor from presenter Sam Simon promised $35,000 to the T.J. Martell foundation personally which was then followed by Wendy Dio, widow of the late Ronnie James Dio who passed away from cancer last year, giving a $100,000 donation to the T.J. Martell Foundation in her husband’s name. Donald Trump made a late appearance and was lauded by both Tony Martell and Arnold Palmer from the podium. Palmer, announced that the highlight of his night was meeting Daytime television legend Susan Lucci who came to the event with her husband Helmut Huber.

When Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Record Label, accepted the night’s Spirit of Excellence award he also surprised the crowd with another donation to the foundation in exchange for a surprise performance by Rascal Flatts. The grammy winning country music group made up of Jay DeMarcus, Gary Vox and Joe Don Rooney quickly took to the stage to oblige and performed a moving “I Won’t Let Go” leaving the crowd mesmerized. Martina McBride closed out the evening performing the newly released “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” a song about a woman’s fight against breast cancer and her husband’s devotion to support her.

A silent auction and live auction during the gala took place to raise additional funds for the T.J. Martell Foundation.