BOSTON — The energy was palpable as nearly 600 guests came together for Mass General for Children’s (MGfC) Storybook Ball on Saturday, November 2, 2024, celebrating 25 years of the spectacular fundraising event.
Led by Co-Chairs Sarah and Walter Donovan and Laura Will and David Nicholson, the evening raised $2.1 million for MGfC’s extraordinary work and highlighted Complex Care, which includes Pediatric Coordinated, Supportive and Palliative Care programs.
Rafanelli Events transformed the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport into the world of “Corduroy,” the 1968 children’s book that follows a tattered teddy bear’s journey inside a bustling department store. As cocktail hour progressed into dinner, guests were whisked away from the store floor to the welcoming home of Lisa, the little girl who surrounds Corduroy with love.
The seated program opened with patients, clinicians, volunteers and former event co-chairs taking the stage to share how 25 years of Storybook Ball has paved the way for fellowships and training, vital pediatric research, Child Life and Integrative Therapies programs and family-centered care.
Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH, Physician-in-Chief of MGfC, Allan M. Goldstein, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief of MGfC, and David F. M. Brown, President, Academic Medical Centers, Mass General Brigham, shared MGfC’s state-of-the-art clinical and surgical work in Complex Care and introduced the March family’s remarkable journey with their son’s complex diagnosis and wraparound MGfC care.
Six-year-old Logan and his family have been receiving treatment, support and guidance at MGfC since he was diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation soon after birth. In a given week, Logan can have six to ten appointments with various specialty departments. MGfC’s Pediatric Coordinated Care and Palliative Care teams have helped Logan’s family navigate his medical needs and ensure his quality of life is at the center of his care.
Guests enjoyed dinner and dancing, carnival booth games with luxury prizes, the sweet sounds of singer Andrew Marshall, finalist of NBC’s “The Voice” Season 20 and a Boxford native who underwent treatment for leukemia at MGfC, and a lively auction led by radio personality Rich Shertenlieb, which included a premiere African safari and an incredible Irish castle getaway.
Throughout Storybook Ball’s quarter-century history, donor generosity has helped raise nearly $40 million. These funds directly help MGfC lead the way as one of the top pediatric research institutes in the country, engaged in groundbreaking studies on a variety of conditions, including brain trauma, cancer, celiac disease, food allergy, epilepsy, Down Syndrome, mental and behavioral health, neurogastrointestinal disorders and substance use disorders.
Photos by Matt West
