CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY BENJAMIN CENTER TO HONOR TIG NOTARO, YAS FITNESS CENTERS' KIMBERLY FOWLER & SHERRI ROSEN AND DR. MITCH GOLANT AT ANNUAL GILDA AWARD GALA

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 21, 2015) – Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center (CSC) presents its annual Gilda Award Gala, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City. The evening of humor, fun and celebration will honor Tig Notaro, Grammy Award-nominated comedian, writer and breast cancer survivor with the “Gilda Award;” YAS Fitness Centers’ Founder Kimberly Fowler and Vice President Sherri Rosen, with the “Wellness Award” and Dr. Mitch Golant, national psychosocial cancer research pioneer, with the “Harold H. Benjamin Innovation Award.” NBC4 Weathercaster Fritz Coleman hosts; actress/comedian Sarah Silverman presents; Pat Kennedy Chairs.

“Each of our amazing honorees has been significantly affected by cancer and each is an extraordinary example of courage, strength and dedication,” said Julia Forth, Executive Director, CSC. “We are honored to celebrate these remarkable individuals for their generosity, commitment and myriad contributions to our community and for bringing hope to and improving the lives of cancer patients and their families.”

Grammy Award-nominated comedian, writer and breast cancer survivor Tig Notaro, will receive the prestigious “Gilda Award” to be presented by fellow comedian and actress, Sarah Silverman. Included on Business Insider’s list of “50 Women Who Are Changing the World” and Rolling Stone’s list of “50 Funniest People Now,” Notaro was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014 for her sophomore release LIVE. She is set to star in Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro airing on Showtime, April 17, 2015. She is also the subject and executive producer of a documentary about her life, entitled Tig, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Other recent film and television credits include Walk of Shame, In a World, ABC’s Suburgatory and IFC’s Maron and Garfunkel and Oates. Notaro hosts her own weekly podcast, Professor Blastoff, which ranks regularly in the top iTunes charts. The “Gilda Award” is presented to a person that represents late comedian Gilda Radner’s courageous spirit, one that continues to inspire cancer patients today. Gilda Radner came to CSC (then known as The Wellness Community) in 1986 during her battle with ovarian cancer.

YAS Fitness Centers’ Founder Kimberly Fowler and Vice President Sherri Rosen will be this year’s recipients of the “Wellness Award.” A hybrid fitness movement combining Yoga and indoor cycling, YAS is for people who value their health, fitness and time. “The Godmother of the Hybrid Movement,” Kimberly Fowler is founder of YAS Fitness Centers, author, philanthropist, feminist, athlete, speaker and cancer survivor. Since opening YAS Fitness Center in Venice, CA in 2001, Fowler has regularly shaken up the yoga and fitness worlds with her fresh, no-nonsense workouts designed for everyone. Sherri Rosen, Vice President of YAS Fitness Centers, has been with YAS since its inception. Rosen currently oversees all aspects of YAS’s operations including: 5 YAS Fitness Center locations, teachers training, YAS Production (YAS DVDs), YAS Wear, website and social media and fundraising (YAS Gives Back). YAS has raised nearly $2 million for a variety of organizations focusing on cancer research. The fitness company is being celebrated for its positive influence on the community by promoting wellness and a culture and spirit of generosity.

Dr. Mitch Golant will be honored with the “Harold H. Benjamin Innovation Award.” Dr. Golant is a national psychosocial cancer research pioneer and is currently Senior Vice President Strategic Initiatives at CSC-HQ, British Columbia. Dr. Golant’s work with the CSC Research & Training Institute in Philadelphia and CSC headquarters in Washington D.C. created a shift in the culture towards addressing patients’ and families’ psychosocial needs. He has traveled throughout the world introducing CSC’s Patient Empowerment Model to international thought-leaders and psychosocial oncologists. Dr. Golant has been with CSC for over 28 years and has facilitated over 6,000 support groups for people with cancer and has trained over 400 professionals in CSC’s Patient Active Support model. He is a CSC Professional Advisory Board member. Dr. Golant is the co-author of seven books and is a contributing editor to the Essentials of Psychosocial Oncology Handbook and The Psychiatric and Psychological Dimensions of Pediatric Cancer Symptom Management. CSC is celebrating his work with Dr. Benjamin (CSC’s visionary founder) in elevating the role of psychosocial support worldwide.

About the Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center

Its mission is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. In 2009, The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club joined forces to become the Cancer Support Community. The combined organization provides the highest quality social and emotional support for people impacted by cancer through a network of 50 licensed affiliates, more than 120 satellite locations and vibrant online and telephone communities, touching more than one million people each year. Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center was founded in 1982 in Santa Monica by Dr. Harold and Harriet Benjamin. Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center offers 100% free invaluable emotional and psychological support and related, healthy life-style services.

Table packages being at $2,500; individual tickets, $300. For more information, please contact Jen Cook, CSC Development Director, at 310-314-2589 or visit www.cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org.

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Contact: Pam Giangregorio

Katy Sweet & Associates Public Relations

(310) 479-2333 / Pam@KatySweetPR.com