Today, The Westhaven Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit organization run by residents at Southern Land Company’s Westhaven community in Franklin, presented Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt a check for $38,371. The donation came from proceeds raised at the foundation’s 15th Concert 4 The Cure, which was held in September 2021.
Concert 4 The Cure is The Westhaven Foundation’s annual fundraising initiative to support pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital. Westhaven resident Doug Stacey and his family started the Concert 4 The Cure event in honor of their mother who passed away from cancer. The Westhaven Foundation and Westhaven resident volunteers joined forces with the Stacey family to more substantially fund childhood cancer research as a community.
“For more than 15 years, The Westhaven Foundation and community have generously supported pediatric cancer efforts at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, helping make a difference for countless young patients with cancer and their families,” said Debra Friedman, MD, who holds the E. Bronson Ingram Chair of Pediatric Oncology and is director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Children’s Hospital. “This new gift will help advance cancer research, identify novel ways of curing pediatric cancer and deliver treatments in the best way possible for each individual child. We can’t wait to see what breakthroughs this year’s support will make possible.”
Since the inaugural Concert 4 The Cure in 2005, The Westhaven Foundation has raised $777,000 to fund discovery grants at Children’s Hospital, which provide seed funding for cancer researchers to pursue bold ideas in the lab that can lead to breakthrough discoveries in the fight against cancer.
“Concert 4 The Cure was created by our neighbors who have been touched by pediatric cancer, and since its beginning it has been a fantastic way to help fund research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt,” said Matt Magallanes, immediate past president of The Westhaven Foundation. “This was a milestone year for Concert 4 The Cure. We are excited to say that with this $38,371 contribution, the event has raised $777,000 since the first event was held in 2005. It has been amazing to see this partnership with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt flourish. I remain grateful to work alongside a passionate group of Westhaven residents who deeply care about children battling cancer and ensuring we can do our part to help make a difference.”
The check was presented by Magallanes, who has helped organize Concert 4 The Cure for several years, to Linde Pflaum, executive director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Development, who accepted on behalf of Children’s Hospital.
Magallanes and Pflaum were joined at the check presentation by members of The Westhaven Foundation Board.
The 2021 Concert 4 The Cure took place on the Great Lawn at Westhaven Residents’ Club and featured a variety of musical acts, including headlining band, Resurrection, as well as Eaglemaniacs and Vic and the Spoils. The event was sponsored by Southern Land Company, Fidelity Investments, LSI, Johnston & Associates, DCR, Kelly Dougherty of Village Realty, Jack Daniel’s, Stihl, Commercial Lawn Equipment, Westside Wine & Spirits and Sheridan Public Relations. Lagunitas Brewing Company provided beverages, and Westhaven Golf Club provided a premium food and service experience for the VIP area. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, attendees were asked to wear masks and not attend if they were symptomatic; and staff handling food and drink were required to wear a mask at all times.
