The Children's Tumor Foundation
10/02/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2025 13:24
CTF National Gala Celebrates NF Champions and Marks Historic Progress in NF Research
On November 17, 2025, NF patients, families, researchers, and leaders will gather at Gotham Hall in New York City for an evening of inspiration and celebration at the Children's Tumor Foundation's National Gala.
This year's Gala comes at a watershed moment for NF. In just the past year, the NF community has seen two FDA-approved treatments reach the market, encouraging results from clinical trials in NF2-SWN, and the first AI-discovered NF drug moving into clinical trials. With the number of NF trials tripling over the past decade, momentum is building like never before, and the Children's Tumor Foundation is proud to celebrate the champions driving these advances.
The Children's Tumor Foundation is honored to present this year's awards to:
Humanitarian Award: Ken Walsh, Jr. and Heidi and Michael Cashell, co-founders of Colin Courageous Foundation
Humanitarian Award: Chad and Kate Doerge, co-founders of Penny's Flight Foundation
Cloud Carrier Award: Richard Soll
2026 CTF National Ambassador: Alexandra Norton
Ken Walsh Jr. and Heidi and Michael Cashell are recognized by the Children's Tumor Foundation for their leadership as co-founders of the Colin Courageous Foundation, which was created in honor of their son, Colin, following his NF1 diagnosis at age six. Through impactful fundraising and awareness efforts such as the annual Caddies for Colin golf outing, Cupid's Undie Run teams, and other community events, the Colin Courageous Foundation has advanced NF research and made a lasting difference for patients and families.
Kate and Chad Doerge will be honored for their visionary leadership as co-founders of Penny's Flight Foundation, established in memory of their daughter, Penny, who bravely faced NF1 until her passing in 2022. Through their signature FamJam (Family Jamboree), more than 100 local chapters, and Shop & Give brand partnerships, Penny's Flight has fueled groundbreaking NF research and built a movement that extends far beyond the NF community. Their work carries the lasting imprint of the foundation's symbol - the butterfly - whose wingspan continues to grow.
The Children's Tumor Foundation is honored to recognize Dr. Richard Soll with a Cloud Carrier Award. Dr. Soll, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives at WuXi AppTec, has advanced drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas, contributing to breakthrough therapies. With leadership roles spanning WuXi, TargeGen, and Celgene partnerships, he also serves on advisory boards shaping biomedical innovation and sits on the Children's Tumor Foundation Board of Directors.
Alexandra Norton, who lives with NF1, will be named the 2026 Children's Tumor Foundation National Ambassador. Based in Dallas, she has combined her personal journey with NF and her leadership as a Cupid's Undie Run director to become a powerful advocate for the community. Alexandra is recognized for her courage and tireless commitment to making NF visible.
Melissa Brunner, news director at WIBW-TV in Topeka, will host this year's National Gala. A passionate advocate since her nephew Owen's NF1 diagnosis, Melissa has partnered with the Children's Tumor Foundation to bring NF into the spotlight. From anchoring World NF Day to Shine A Light NF Walks and awareness campaigns across Kansas, she is a powerful voice for the NF community.
Behind the celebration lies the reason for it all: the millions of people worldwide living with NF. Neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis are a group of genetic conditions that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, affecting 1 in 2,000 births of all populations - or about 4 million people worldwide. Anyone can be born with NF, and its impact can be different for each individual, ranging from blindness or deafness to bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning challenges, disabling pain, or cancer. By accelerating research and clinical trials, the Children's Tumor Foundation is driving NF science forward at a pace never seen before. Learn more about our work at ctf.org/impact.
And join the celebration at the CTF National Gala - to purchase a ticket or make a donation, please visit ctf.org/gala.
The Children's Tumor Foundation published this content on October 02, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 02, 2025 at 19:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]