More than $1.1 million was raised Saturday night at the Ambassador of Hope Gala in Omaha to support research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
Hundreds of people came to the Qwest Center Omaha and several more attended a satellite gala in Scottsbluff. The event featured comments from the 2008 Ambassador of Hope award recipient, Robin Roberts of ABC’s Good Morning America.
Roberts — who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 — was honored for raising awareness about the disease by coping with it in the public eye.
At Saturday night’s gala, Roberts talked about her diagnosis – which she received via cell phone while on an airplane – and her fear of telling her mother the news.
It was Roberts’ mother, however, who encouraged the television star to go public with her cancer.
“She told me, ‘Honey, make your mess your message,” Robert said of the advice that would eventually become a chapter in her biography, “Eight Rules to Live By.”
Roberts talked about her struggle with the disease and how letters and e-mails from fellow survivors and others helped power her recovery.
One of the highlights of Roberts’ speech was her recount of a New York fashion show she participated in while undergoing treatment.
While standing in line behind several beautiful, thin models, Roberts caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and, in particular, the wig she wore to cover her head, which was left bald by chemotherapy.
She wasn’t happy with what she saw and moments before heading onto the runway, Roberts tossed the wig and “bee bopped” down the catwalk smiling and bald, much to the delight of those in attendance.
“It was the most liberating moment of my life,” Roberts said.
The enormous swell of support she received from the public following that moment and throughout her recovery has convinced Roberts that her mother was correct, this mess was to be her message.
“I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be a messenger,” Roberts said.
Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, thanked Roberts and those who turned out for the ball for making it an overwhelming success.
“Robin truly is an inspiration for millions of people and she truly is the embodiment of an ‘Ambassador of Hope,’” Dr. Cowan said. “And I can’t say enough for the generosity of those who attended the gala. To generate that kind of support, particularly in these economic times, is simply stunning. I couldn’t be happier about the way the gala played out.”
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.