CancerPartners, the local nonprofit that offers emotional and educational support to all those in the Coachella Valley touched by cancer, will hold the second edition of The Passions Ball: An Evening of Heart and Soul—the exciting new fundraising gala inaugurated last year—on Saturday, November 3, 2018.

Taking place at The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa, The Passions Ball will be a glamorous evening featuring a cocktail reception and silent auction, gourmet dinner in the grand ballroom, an awards ceremony, and entertainment by “THE GREATEST HITZ” from Las Vegas that will have guests dancing the night away.

“We at CancerPartners are acutely aware that it takes many individuals and organizations working together in close partnership to ensure that our valley’s cancer patients receive all the support they need on their journey,” said CancerPartners President and CEO Maria Elena Geyer. “We created The Passion Awards to recognize those who are outstanding in their dedication to this cause.”

Three awards will be presented:

The Partner in Passion Award will honor the Coachella Valley Chapter of the Israel Cancer Research Fund, the largest nationwide charitable organization in North America devoted to supporting cancer research in Israel. The ICRF mission is to support cancer research programs in Israel, for the benefit of Israel and all mankind. Board Chair Patrick Mundt and Vice Chair Jeralyn Brossfield, MD, will receive the award on the CV Chapter’s behalf.

The Lifetime Passion Award will be presented to BIGHORN BAM, the charitable arm of Bighorn Golf Club, which over the last 11 years has raised $8.3 million for cancer patient support services, breast cancer diagnostic technologies, and educational scholarships in the Coachella Valley. Support goes to the Eisenhower Health Lucy Curci Cancer Center and BIGHORN Radiation Oncology Center and to The Pendleton Foundation, for the benefit of patients throughout the valley. Accepting the Passion Award will be BIGHORN BAM representatives Cathy Johnson, Debi Aarthun, and Founder Selby Dunham.

The Annette Bloch Heart & Soul Award will honor community leader David Brinkman, MBA, CEO of Desert AIDS Project since 2006. Brinkman has led DAP through a period of unprecedented expansion and achieved Federally Qualified Health Center status. This means that, in addition to providing HIV/AIDS treatment, DAP can also provide primary care to individuals whether or not living with HIV or AIDS. Thanks to the federal status, combined with Brinkman’s vision and generous gifts from philanthropist and cancer survivor Annette Bloch and others, DAP now offers cancer screenings and cancer care to all those in need. Bloch, who last year was the recipient of the first Lifetime Passion Award, will present Brinkman with the Heart & Soul Award.

Individual Passions Ball tickets ($300 per person) and six sponsorship packages are currently available. We invite you to join us!

For event tickets and information on CancerPartners’ no-cost, professionally led cancer support program, visit www.cancerpartners.org or call (760) 770.5678. [email protected].

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