Sue and Anthony Marguleas with Sherry Lansing at a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
Anthony is the founder of Amalfi Estates, which is a presenting sponsor of the Cal Spirit event.
During Covid, diagnoses for six major cancer types dropped by nearly 50 percent and about 43 percent of current patients missed routine appointments. In 2022, more than 600,000 Americans died of cancer.
Statistics are grim, but the American Cancer Society’s mission is to fight for a world without cancer, and residents are invited to help.
The Society’s 39th Annual California Spirit fundraiser will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, at Fox Studios, 10200 W. Galaxy Way, Los Angeles. The event will feature 10 of LA’s finest chefs for an evening of culinary arts and fabulous wine and spirits.
Amalfi Estates is again the presenting sponsor of the Cal Spirit fundraiser that was co-founded by Wolfgang Puck and Sherry Lansing in 1984; and is among Southern California’s most acclaimed food and wine benefits. The event has raised more than $18 million for the American Cancer Society. A few tickets are still available click here.
Billy Harris, a renowned figure in the culinary industry, widely known as the “go-to guy,” will host the evening, and there will be inspirational speakers and an auction. Since the event falls during Breast Cancer Awareness month, attendees are asked to wear pink attire to the fundraiser.
“Amalfi Estates is honored to be able to support such a great cause as The American Society’s Cal Spirit event,” said Amalfi cofounder Anthony Marguleas. “With your help, each year, we are getting closer to finding a cure.”
Marguleas is a cancer survivor. When he was 26, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, and was given only a 30 percent chance of survival. His parents and an older and a twin brother watched while he dwindled to 98 pounds during radiation, chemotherapy and finally a bone-marrow transplant.
“As painful as the cancer treatments were, the hardest part was seeing the pain it caused my family as they watched me go through it,” Marguleas said.
While in the hospital, he met his wife Sue, who was an oncology nurse. “Most people in their 20s take life for granted, but I was given a lesson in how important life is and to live every day to the fullest, which was a huge blessing,” he said.
Jae Wu, who is the co-director of Heyler Realty and the 2023 President of the Women’s council of Realtors Los Angeles/Beverly Hills has chaired the event the past two years.
She told CTN that volunteering for American Cancer Society was a labor of love and that “all the hard work is about to be enjoyed by hundreds of people in a fun fashion to find a cure for cancer. You don’t want to miss out on this 39th annual Cal Spirit event!”
Lansing, who is the Cal Spirit Honorary Chair, said that “Only two months ago, two of my dearest friends told me they had cancer. If this had happened ten years ago, I would have been in tears and felt hopeless, but because of the discovery of new drugs, both of my friends will not die of cancer, and that to me is the reason why we’re here.”
Cal Spirit Chair Jae Wu poses with Phil Rosenthal, who was the executive producer of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and is on Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil” at last year’s event.