Gilda's Club NYC holds virtual benefit 'It's Always Something'
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A virtual benefit show featuring the likes of Sting, Jon Batiste, Roseanne Cash, and David Sanborn took place Wednesday night to raise money in the fight against cancer.
The "It's Always Something" concert takes its name from the catchphrase of the late comic Gilda Radner.
She left us a legacy of laughs, of course, but also a vital resource: Gilda's Club NYC.
The sanctuary for cancer patients and their families was founded after her death from ovarian cancer at the age of 42.
Gilda's Club NYC went virtual during the pandemic and saw demand for its services jump by 55%, all of which makes the benefit all the more important.
"When you talk to the performers, you'll see in the concert tonight, they have been touched by cancer personally," CEO Lily Safrani said. "And so they really understand the experience."
As a cancer patient, it's an experience Kamali Chandler knows firsthand.
"This fundraising is just of utmost importance," she said. "We need this. We need people to be our voice and be our strength when we are at our weakest points."
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Gary Ireland's wife Nancy passed away from cancer after finding solace at the club.
"They picked me up when I needed it,," he said. "They helped Nancy in creating a family, so I can't speak highly enough for Gilda's, and I'm so grateful."
Robin Roberts, who is a cancer survivor, will be among those making an appearance along with Emma Stone, Brooke Shields, and others.
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