Ambassador of Hope Gala raises $1 million

The sixth Ambassador of Hope Gala for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center was a record breaking event.

Gala images The slideshow above features images from Tuesday’s Ambassador of Hope Gala at Qwest Center Omaha.

With Condoleezza Rice, Ph.D., U.S. Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009, the honoree at Tuesday’s event at Qwest Center Omaha, more than 800 people attended and a total of $1 million was raised for cancer research.

Following auction bidding, a final major contribution from The Hawks Foundation brought the proceeds raised to $1 million. Howard and Rhonda Hawks were the honorary chairs for this year’s event.

“I can’t thank the Hawks enough for their commitment to help us raise money for cancer research,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. “Their leadership was just incredible. They brought in more sponsorships and first-time attendees than we’ve ever had before.”

This year’s $1 million total represented the highest amount of direct community support the event has ever achieved, Dr. Cowan said.