Photos: The Mary Ruchalski Foundation hosts inaugural Heart of Gold gala

The Mary Ruchalski Foundation wrapped up Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month with its first-ever Heart of Gold Gala event on Sept. 30, at the St. Agnes Parish Center.

More than 400 people attended the event in recognition of Mary Ruchalski, a very bright and very brave seventh-grade St. Agnes Cathedral School student who died in March 2018 of rhabdomyosarcoma — a rare form of cancer that affects muscle tissue.

Due to the rarity of the disease and a lack of research funding, little progress had been made towards a new treatment since 1982. Determined to make a change, her mother, Carol Ruchalski, created the foundation in memory of Mary to spread awareness of pediatric cancer and to help raise money for research to try and help other families with children who are affected by this disease.

Thanks to the generous donations of the community, the foundation has raised more than a half-million dollars towards rhabdomyosarcoma research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories.

In recognition of this groundbreaking research, Ruchalski invited Gala honoree, Dr. Chris Vakoc, and his team at the Cold Spring Harbor Labs to come and share the progress of their work on the development of a drug to combat this rare form of pediatric cancer, which will be the first of its kind and completely transform the way cancer is treated.

“He brought his entire lab with him to the Gala,” Ruchalski said. “I was really pleased and touched to see so many people. It was so well attended. I was shocked we did so well.”

Ruchalski said that the Gala helped the foundation raise an additional $80,000 for Dr. Vakoc’s breakthrough research, for a grand total of more than $100,000 for the entire month of September.

“It was a great month,” she said. “The room was filled with love and support.”

She also thanked Assemblyman Brian Curran, who co-sponsored the event, for his continued support to the foundation over the past several years, and the Rockville Centre, Lynbrook, Malverne, East Williston and Mineola communities for their continued commitment to “light it up gold” for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.