MORE THAN 30 NEW YORK ARTISTS DONATE TO ART FOR THE CAUSE AUCTION BENEFITTING LEUKEMIA NEEDS FOUNDATION Photographers and painters in New York City raise funds for leukemia patients in need NEW YORK CITY (April 27, 2011) – The Leukemia Needs Foundation (LNF) will auction off a mix of fine art photography and paintings at Art for the Cause, May 5, including works by talented artists Guy Philoche, Arthur Belebeau, Richard Warren, William Coupon, Timothy Hogan and others. LNF, along with the participation of Be The Match Foundation, will host the event to raise funds to help pay the everyday bills of leukemia patients in need undergoing treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. LNF co-founder and fashion photographer James Weber is among the artists donating their work and was inspired to start the organization after his own brush with the deadly disease. “Being diagnosed with leukemia not only knocked me off my feet physically, but financially as well,” says Weber. “I was fortunate enough to have health insurance cover most of my medical bills, but since I was unable to work for more than 45 days, the bills for everyday living expenses soon piled up. It occurred to me that there must be thousands out there going through the same thing, but with a lot fewer resources.” The resources Weber seeks to tap to help leukemia patients are those in the New York City world of art and photography in which he makes his living. More than 30 talented, working artists each donated a signed print to be sold with all proceeds going to LNF. One of the event’s featured artists, Guy Philoche, has sold some of his previous works to celebrities George Clooney and Uma Thurman. Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Barclay Investments, Merrill Lynch and others have picked up Philoche’s paintings at Christie’s auctions making them part of their corporate collections. His current work, "Untitled Series," focuses on utilizing a simple yet strict structure to create a sense of balance and symmetry. His artwork has been referred to as a “beautiful organization of chaos” -- a parallel for the order that LNF hopes to bring to the chaotic interruption leukemia creates in the lives of those who contract and confront it. “James is someone I respect as an artist and a human being,” Philoche says. “I’m not surprised by his inspired efforts to help those dealing with leukemia, and I’m honored he would ask me to join him in Art for the Cause.” Art for the Cause takes place in Loft 33 located at 33 West 26th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY, from 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.. For more information about the event, please visit: www.leukneeds.org. For more information on participating artists and the art being auctioned, please visit: http://issuu.com/luekemianeeds/docs/art-for-the-cause.
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About Be The Match Be The Match is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a leader in the field of marrow and cord blood transplantation, created Be The Match to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in saving the lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other lifethreatening diseases. Volunteers can join the Be The Match Registry – the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units – as well as contribute financially to Be The Match Foundation or give their time. For more information, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2. About Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) was established in New York City in 1884 and is the world’s oldest and largest private institution dedicated to prevention, patient care, research, and education in cancer. MSKCC’s physicians and scientists treat over 400 subtypes of cancer and have established standards of care and treatment protocols for each type and stage of disease. Each year, Memorial Sloan-Kettering treats more children with cancer, treats more people with breast cancer, and performs more cancer surgeries than any other hospital in the United States. In 2010, more than 24,000 patients were admitted to Memorial Hospital and MSKCC accommodated 500,000 outpatient visits. MSKCC is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mskcc.org. About The Leukemia Needs Foundation The Leukemia Needs Foundation (LNF) is a not-for-profit organization created to financially assist leukemia patients while acutely hospitalized. While many organizations focus on medical bills, LNF focuses on paying everyday living expenses that stack up while a patient isn’t able to work. LNF was created by James Weber and Dr. Patrick Fullerton with the focus of benefitting patients of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Its stated goal is to raise funds sufficient to expand to hospitals around the country. Those interested in learning more about LNF may visit its website: www.leukneeds.org. ### Media Contact: Joel Staley Email: joel.c.staley@gmail.com Office: 407.294.5263 Mobile: 407.242.9994
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