ABCs hosted Annual Mother's Day Luncheon

(Photo credit: Vince Bucci):

01 – ABCs President Gloria Gebbia, honoree Donna Mills and Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne and Chairman of the Board, John Wayne Cancer Institute

02 – Honoree Lorraine Toussaint with presenter Jonathan Howard, VP, Talent, Innovative Artists

03 – Honoree Gloria Allred with presenter Lea Purwin D’Agostino

04 – Luncheon Chair Beverly Cohen, ABCs President Gloria Gebbia and Luncheon Chair Sheri Rosenblum

Actress, Comedienne Cocoa Brown Hosted

Los Angeles, CA (May 18, 2016) The Associates for Breast and Prostate Cancer Studies, affectionately known as the ABCs, hosted its annual, star-studded Mother’s Day Luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel at Beverly Hills, May 4, 2016 to benefit breast and prostate cancer research at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. The afternoon honored attorney Gloria Allred and award-winning actresses Donna Mills and Lorraine Toussaint with the organization’s Women of Achievement Award.

Actress, comedienne Cocoa Brown, emceed. The event showcased an informal fashion show by Grayse and a luxury boutique featuring a fashionable array of select vendors donating a portion of proceeds from their sales to the organization.

Event co-chairs Beverly Cohen and Sheri Rosenblum welcomed over 300 guests, thanking them for their support of the ABCs and recognizing that “cancer has touched so many of our lives, and we need to work together to fund research for better and safer treatments and ultimately a cure. That is the goal of the ABCs.”

Host Cocoa Brown, shared personal stories of how cancer had touched her life and noted that since their founding, the ABCs have raised over $15 million dollars for breast and prostate cancer research at the Institute. She then introduced Gloria Gebbia, president of the ABCs, who dedicated the luncheon to long-time supporter Elaine Lerman who passed away two months ago.

Vice president of talent at Innovative Arts Jonathan Howard presented the first Women of Achievement Award to Lorraine Toussaint. Toussaint, best known for her thrilling performance as the seductive inmate “Vee” on the smash hit Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” is a Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She currently stars in FOX’s new drama series, “Rosewood,” and will star in the upcoming feature film “COCO.”

Patrick Wayne, chairman of the board of the John Wayne Cancer Institute and son of the legendary actor John Wayne, presented the second Women of Achievement Award to actress and producer Donna Mills. Mills is best known for her role on the prime-time soap opera “Knots Landing,” which made her a household name and one of TV’s biggest stars. Mills continued to headline in television films, several which she produced, often highlighting important social issues. In 2014, Mills joined the cast of the long-running daytime soap opera “General Hospital.”

Former Los Angeles deputy district attorney Lea Purwin D’Agostino presented the third Women of Achievement Award to her friend Gloria Allred. Allred is founding partner of the law firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg (AM&G). The firm handles more women’s rights cases than any other private firm in the nation and has won hundreds of millions of dollars for victims. Over the course of her 40-year legal career, Allred has won countless honors for her pioneering legal work on behalf of women’s rights and rights for minorities.

About the ABCs

The Associates for Breast and Prostate Cancer Studies (ABCs) was formed 26 years ago by a group of dedicated philanthropists who had originally been associated with the Eddie Cantor Charitable Foundation, an organization that supported a variety of causes. These individuals wanted to devote all their charitable efforts and resources to eradicating cancer and unanimously chose to support progressive and innovative breast cancer and prostate cancer research at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. Today the ABCs are over 150 members strong and growing. They dedicate their efforts to funding research in breast and prostate cancer at the Institute, and since 1990, have raised over $15 million. For more information, please visit www.abcjw.com.

About the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center

Since 1981, the family of John Wayne has been committed to pioneering cancer research in memory of their father, who died of cancer. For more than 30 years, the courageous and dedicated researchers at the John Wayne Cancer Institute have made groundbreaking discoveries that have changed the way cancer is detected, diagnosed and treated around the world. Today the tradition of excellence continues as the Institute spearheads new research advances, while training the next generation of leaders in the fight against cancer through its renowned Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program. The Institute’s programs focus on melanoma, breast, neuro, prostate and gastrointestinal cancers, as well as innovative research in cancer genomics, molecular biomarkers, and chemo- and immunotherapies. With its unique ability to rapidly turn scientific discoveries into novel approaches for early detection and treatment, the Institute provides immediate hope to cancer patients everywhere. For more information, please visit www.JWCIgiving.org.

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Contact: Pam Giangregorio

Katy Sweet & Associates Public Relations

310-479-2333 / Pam@KatySweetPR.com