NO LAUGHING MATTER 2025

NO LAUGHING MATTER 2025 RAISES MORE THAN $750,000

THE SEVENTH ANNUAL “NO LAUGHING MATTER” FUNDRAISER RAISES MORE THAN $750,000 FOR PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH AT WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE

An all-star comedy line-up, including headliners Chris Distefano and Josh Johnson, donated time and talent to the laugh-out-loud fundraiser on October 14, helping raise research funding for rare and inoperable brain tumor research at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Hope and inspiration once again filled the room on Tuesday, October 14, at the New York Athletic Club during the annual “No Laughing Matter” comedy night fundraiser benefiting the Children’s Brain Tumor Project (CBTP) at Weill Cornell Medicine. Now in its seventh year, the event has raised more than $5 million to support the groundbreaking research of Dr. Mark Souweidane and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, co-founders of the CBTP, whose mission is to bring new hope to children and families facing brain tumors.

“Each year, this event plays a critical role in helping us continue and expand our research, accelerating the path toward discovering cures and bringing them to the clinic,” said Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield. “We are profoundly grateful to the Board of Directors at the Children’s Brain Tumor Project Foundation, our dinner chair, Tara Lipton, the talented performers, honorees, sponsors, and the incredible volunteers whose commitment and generosity make this evening such an extraordinary success.”

Liz Laugh Love Award Recipient Nancy Goodman

The annual “Liz Laugh Love” award was introduced in 2019 to remember Elizabeth Minter, a young patient with an incurable brain tumor who personally laid the foundation for the creation of the Children’s Brain Tumor Project by raising awareness, sharing her story, and fundraising for the discovery of treatment options for rare pediatric brain tumors.

This year, the “Liz Laugh Love” award was proudly presented to Nancy Goodman (pictured above with husband, Michael Froman). Nancy is the founder and executive director of Kids v Cancer, and her extraordinary advocacy has reshaped the national landscape for pediatric cancer research and drug development. Nancy founded Kids v Cancer in memory of her son, Jacob, who passed away from medulloblastoma at age 10. Determined to create change for other families facing childhood cancers, she turned her grief into groundbreaking action — building a movement that has influenced science and policy to benefit children.

Under Nancy’s leadership, Kids v Cancer has been instrumental in advancing landmark legislation including the Creating Hope Act, which established the FDA’s Priority Review Voucher program for rare pediatric diseases, and the RACE for Children Act, which requires companies developing adult cancer drugs to also study them in children when relevant. These transformative policies have opened new pathways for pediatric oncology research, speeding the process for drug development in rare pediatric diseases and strengthening the bridge between research and clinical care.

Nancy’s unwavering advocacy embodies the very essence of the Liz Laugh Love spirit. Her work continues to inspire researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and beyond — including those within the Children’s Brain Tumor Project, who share her vision of ensuring that every child with a brain tumor has access to effective, personalized treatments and the chance to thrive.

The Lineup

An all-star comedy lineup once again proved that sometimes laughter truly is the best medicine. Hosted by Brooke Baldwin, the evening featured an outstanding roster of comedians including Kaneez Surka, Chris Distefano, and Josh Johnson, whose performances kept the audience laughing from start to finish.

The show opened with a moving performance by Emily Taylor Kaufman, who delivered a heartfelt rendition of “The Climb” in honor of her dear friend Alain Brutus, a Broadway performer and ensemble member in Aladdin who is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.

Adding to the evening’s inspiration, Anthony Greco—one of Dr. Souweidane’s own patients and a talented stand-up comedian—shared a deeply personal account of his journey as a patient and the dire need for research funding.

The night concluded with an exciting live auction and hand-raise appeal led by Kenny Polcari, whose energy and enthusiasm helped make the fundraiser a tremendous success.

The No Laughing Matter comedy night has grown into the largest annual fundraiser for the Children’s Brain Tumor Project, and we look forward to welcoming another incredible lineup in 2026. Save the date: Thursday, October 22!

IF YOU WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION.

Sponsors

Tremendous thanks to our Title Sponsor, Zimmer Biomet.

Along with major sponsors Aquarian Holdings and New York Presbyterian.

Special thanks to our SWAG sponsors, Varis, Lolavie, Dr. Whitney Bowe, Hello Sunday, COLOR WOW, John Frieda, and Dear Annabelle.

PHOTO CREDIT JAMES O’CONNOR