News executives and anchors from rival networks will come together Wednesday night at New York’s Gotham Hall for the 10th annual Joan’s Legacy gala, which honors former “NBC Nightly News” writer Joan Scarangello who lost her battle with lung cancer 11 years ago. Scarangello, a never-smoker, died in 2001 at age 47.
NBC’s Brian Williams (right, at the 2011 event) will host the event. ABC News president Ben Sherwood and CNN executive Jonathan Wald, who both worked with Scarangello at “Nightly News,” will be among the attendees. WABC anchor Bill Ritter, who lost his mother to lung cancer, will emcee.
Joan’s Legacy, now going by the name, Uniting Against Lung Cancer has raised $10 million for lung cancer research since inception which has resulted in more than $45 million in follow-on funding, scientific discovery and new treatments in clinical trials and career development of many leading lung cancer experts.