Event Details
Celebrating 30 years of breast cancer prevention research and helping women and families live healthier lives! Meet Silent Spring’s new executive director, staff, and board members as we embark together on a new era in prevention research and innovation.
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.
Museum of Science, Boston
The Program
6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception, outside the Planetarium in The Red Wing
8:00 p.m. Program and Auction, The Red Wing Atrium
Hosted by ebullient influencer Katie Martell
Also featuring:
- Remarks by Dr. Mary Beth Terry, Executive Director, Silent Spring Institute
- Presentation of the 2024 Rachel Carson Advocacy Award to investigative journalist Sharon Lerner
- Performance by Mistral, a premier New England chamber ensemble
- Live auction with Jacqueline Tower-Perkins of Tower-Perkins Consulting, formerly of Sotheby’s
Formal cocktail attire
Host
Katie Martell
Katie Martell has appeared on stages across the U.S. and internationally as an emcee, host, and speaker. She speaks and writes about the collision of marketing and social movements (aka woke-washing) and has been named "one of the most interesting people in B2B marketing." Her two cents have appeared in places like the BBC, Adweek, CNBC, Forbes, WSJ, New York Times, and more. With 150,000 followers and subscribers, she shines a light on important narratives and believes Mary Oliver when she wrote, "To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."
Featuring
Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner is an investigative journalist who has reported extensively on PFAS chemicals—detailing how manufacturers covered up the danger they pose for decades. She was the first to write that PFAS-containing firefighting foam used by the military contaminated water around the country and broke the story that GenX, a PFAS compound that DuPont created to replace the cancer-causing compound PFOA, also causes cancer. Lerner covers health and the environment for ProPublica. She joined ProPublica in 2022 after seven years at The Intercept, where she focused on environmental crime and regulatory failures. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Nation, and The Washington Post, and she recently appeared on the Daily Show! Lerner’s work has been honored by the Society of Environmental Journalists 11 times and by the Newswomen’s Club of New York, which named her journalist of the year in 2021.
Dr. Mary Beth Terry
Dr. Mary Beth Terry is an internationally renowned cancer epidemiologist with over 25 years of experience leading studies on breast cancer risk factors. Her many contributions to the field include groundbreaking work on how environmental exposures increase breast cancer risk among women with a family history or genetic predisposition. She currently is leading an international study investigating drivers of early onset cancer and the influence of environmental exposures during key windows of susceptibility. Author of over 450 scientific publications, Dr. Terry has served on numerous prestigious committees for the National Cancer Institute and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. She comes to Silent Spring from Columbia University, where she’s Professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health and Associate Director of Population Science at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Auctioneer
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins
Jacqueline Towers-Perkins is an international auctioneer and fundraising consultant, serving non-profit institutions and holding auctions at high profile charity galas and benefit events in the United States and Europe. Her clients include international royalty from His Majesty King Charles to Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and she has shared the stage with leaders of finance, entertainment, tech, and politics. Over the years she has auctioneered to thousands of bidders and raised millions for charity. Alongside her independent auctioneer business, she previously held senior positions at top global auction houses including Sotheby’s New York and Bonhams Auctioneers, as a lead Auctioneer and Contemporary Art Specialist, most recently rising to the position of Vice President at the former.
Musical Guest
Mistral
Mistral has been a jewel in the cultural landscape of the Greater Boston area since 1997. With a five-concert series in Andover and Brookline, Mistral presents virtuosic, communicative artists in unique, far-ranging, thematic programs, from newly discovered gems to timeless masterpieces, with an irresistible combination of high spirits and serious music-making. Committed to invigorating old traditions with an ever-youthful zest, Mistral connects in a singular way with its audiences.
Support
Help us forge the future of Silent Spring Institute! The Gala Celebration is Silent Spring’s largest and most important fundraiser of our year. Help us to meet our ambitious $600,000 goal to advance research that is creating a safer world for all of us. Pledge your support or give now as an Individual or as a Corporate Sponsor:
- Individual Sponsor
- Corporate Sponsor
- Pledge your support now, pay by check later
For more information and for sponsorship opportunities, contact:
Rachel Sarvey at sarvey@silentspring.org or 617.332.4288 x215.
Auction
We’re currently seeking items for the live and silent auctions. Auction sponsors receive acknowledgement on the Gala site and in auction materials on the day of the event. To donate an item, please fill out our online Auction Form.
Questions about the auction? Reach out to gala@silentspring.org.
Host Committee
Lisa Carey Moore and Justin Moore, Co-Chairs
Kristin Knox* and Thomas Knox, Co-Chairs
Jill‡ and Michael Balmuth Cynthia Barakatt‡ and Rich Bizzozero
Lisa Goodwin Robbins†‡ and Andrew Robbins
Margaret Kripke†
Cynthia McKeown†
Prachi Samudra† and Ashish Chhabra
Cindy Shulak Rome† and Dan Rome
Patti Stoll‡ and Michael Gladstone
Mary Beth Terry*†
Beth Whelan†
†Board of Directors
‡Leadership Council
*Staff
Interested in being part of the fundraising efforts behind the scenes of our gala? Reach out to Rachel Sarvey (sarvey@silentspring.org) to inquire about participating in the Host Committee! Responsibilities are flexible and we meet once in May, July, and September.