NO LAUGHING MATTER is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14!

No Laughing Matter – Annual Comedy Night Fundraiser

Dinner Chair – Tara Lipton

On October 14th, 2025, The Children’s Brain Tumor Project Foundation will host the Annual “No Laughing Matter” Fundraising Gala at the New York Athletic Club. The Gala is a powerful event that raises much-needed support for the pediatric brain tumor research underway at Weill Cornell Medicine. A sold-out room of 300 guests including a diverse community of corporate leaders in finance, medicine, entertainment, media, fashion, real estate and science will gather for a memorable evening to give hope to the families and children impacted by a brain tumor diagnosis. 

Since 2012, The Children’s Brain Tumor Project has been working to improve outcomes for children with brain tumors by advancing scientific discovery and research that focuses on targeted therapy, effective drug delivery, and low treatment-related toxicity. We share a single goal: to bring hope to children and their families who are confronted with a pediatric brain tumor diagnosis. 

The event is highly entertaining and very well attended. Previous performers have included Jim Gaffigan, Jordan Klepper, Roy Wood Jr, Michael Kosta and Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Freestyle Love Supreme.” This year we will be adding a captivating musical performance in addition to stand-up comedy from Chris Distefano and Josh Johnson from the Daily Show.

We need the support of table hosts, ticketholders and sponsors and we hope you will join us. Your support would not only enhance the gala but also help us maximize the funds raised, allowing us to make an even greater impact on the lives of children.  Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you. 

If you have questions, please email Cindy Campbell at cic2008@med.cornell.edu.

NANCY GOODMAN, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIDS V CANCER

Honoring Her Unwavering Advocacy in Memory of Jacob

We are honored to present Nancy Goodman with an award for her advocacy at the 2025 “No Laughing Matter” gala, recognizing her unwavering commitment to ensuring that children with cancer receive the treatments and hope they so richly deserve.

Nancy Goodman is a lawyer and legislative advocate. She founded Kids v Cancer to change the rules of the road and create new models to incentivize biotechs and pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs for kids.

Kids v Cancer authored and championed the Creating Hope Act Rare Pediatric Priority Review Voucher Program, first passed into U.S. law in 2012 (21 U.S.C. 360ff) and reauthorized in 2016 and 2020. The voucher program establishes a market-based incentive (a voucher) for companies to develop drugs expressly for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Over $6 billion in vouchers have been traded since the establishment of the program. Vouchers trade at about $100 million.

Kids v Cancer also authored and championed the RACE for Children Act, passed into U.S. law in 2017 (21 U.S.C. 355c). The RACE for Children Act authorizes the FDA to direct companies developing adult cancer therapies to undertake pediatric studies of those therapies when their molecular targets are substantially relevant to pediatric cancers.

In 2020, Nancy cofounded CARGO Therapeutics.

Kids v Cancer and the pediatric cancer community are now asking the U.S. Congress to pass the Give Kids a Chance Act, to extend the RACE for Children Act, and to authorize the FDA to direct companies developing adult cancer therapies to undertake pediatric studies of those therapies in combination with a second drug when the second drug is owned by the same company or is a generic.

Nancy received her JD from the University of Chicago Law School and her MPP from Harvard Kennedy School. Her son, Jacob, died of medulloblastoma.