We look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary with you on Saturday, May 6 at The Sheraton Grand Chicago. Stay tuned for more information and updates on the event.
Unable to attend but still want to help find a cure for epilepsy? Donate here to help us fund vitally needed epilepsy research.
Featured entertainment for the evening will be Fitz and the Tantrums.
Our Unite to CURE Epilepsy virtual event is back! Join us as we celebrate advances in epilepsy research, inspiring stories from the community, and so much more. Our 3rd annual Unite to CURE Epilepsy event will be hosted by Tanja Babich, Emmy Award-winning anchor at ABC 7 Chicago, and premiere on September 29th at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. We look forward to connecting with everyone within the epilepsy community across the country.
If you aren’t able to join us, you can still donate here to help us fund even more vitally needed epilepsy research.
On June 1, 2022, we held our Annual Chicago Benefit. It was an evening of celebrating the progress we have made in advancing science to find a cure and sharing powerful stories from the community. Thank you to all the individuals, families, clinicians, researchers, donors, and sponsors from across the epilepsy community who joined us for the evening. With all of your generosity and support, you helped us raise over $1.9 million for innovative research that will help us find a cure for this terrible condition. With your continued support, we know we will reach our goal: a world without epilepsy.
If you weren’t able to join us, you can still donate here to help us fund even more vitally needed epilepsy research.
Thank you to our musical performers, Barenaked Ladies, for joining us for the evening and sharing their talents with us.
Some photos of the evening are below. You can see all photos from the benefit here (use the case-sensitive password CURE2022).
On September 17th, 2021, we held our second annual virtual event, Unite to CURE Epilepsy. It was an evening of engaging entertainment, moving stories from the community, and promising research updates. We witnessed the global epilepsy community come together through tenacity, discovery, and hope to help achieve our vision: a world without epilepsy.
If you weren’t able to join us, you can still donate here to help us fund even more vitally needed epilepsy research. You can also watch the event below to see why your donations are so critical to our mission.
Thank you to all the individuals, families, clinicians, donors, and sponsors from across the epilepsy community who joined from around the world to Unite to CURE Epilepsy. With all of your generosity and support, you helped us raise nearly $1.8 million for innovative research that will help us find a cure for this terrible condition. With your continued support, we know we will reach our goal.
Thank you to the world-class entertainers for their inspirational performances, the informative updates from leading scientists who gave us a look into the world of epilepsy research, and the members of the epilepsy community for sharing their inspirational stories.
Featuring
Mike Barnicle, event host, award-winning journalist and contributor to MSNBC’s Morning Joe, whose daughter, Julia, has epilepsy.
Rick Bayless, 8-time James Beard Award-winning Chef
Nils Lofgren, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, solo performer, member of the E Street Band, member of Neil Young and Crazy Horse..
Miguel Cervantes, Film and TV actor. Star of Hamilton on Broadway.
Plus Miguel’s Broadway friends, Tamar Greene, Mandy Gonzales, James Snyder, Jackson Cervantes, and Vadim Feichtner, for vocal arrangements, and Hudson Pollock, for sound editing.
And members of the Misericordia Heartzingers, Lauren Axelrod, Charlie Carpenter, and Denise Witt. With Dick Bangham for editing and post-production, Jamison Weddles for audio recording and mixing, Bob and Madge Erlenbaugh, musical directors for Heartzingers, Rob Carpenter for filming the Heartzingers. And a special thanks to Amy Lofgren.
Epilepsy Research Needs You
Epilepsy research is more important than ever, and funding this research is critically needed in order to make strides in developing treatments. It is vital that we do all we can to ensure continued progress towards our shared vision: a world without epilepsy.
CURE Epilepsy Board of Directors
Susan Axelrod CURE Epilepsy Founder Chicago, Illinois
Stacey Pigott Board Chair Wilmette, Illinois
Kelly Cervantes Chair-Elect Maplewood, New Jersey
Michael Axelrod Secretary Phoenix, Arizona
Kathy McKenna Treasurer Arlington Heights, Illinois
Gary Collins President, Epilepsy Canada Ex Officio
Toronto, Canada
Kimberly Borden
Clarendon Hills, Illinois
Lisa Cotton
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Blake Cunneen
La Grange, Illinois
Marilynn Kelly Gardner
Chicago, Illinois
Carrie Garman
Downers Grove, Illinois
Brian Gorczynski
Morristown, New Jersey
David Reifman
Chicago, Illinois
Matt Schneider
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Beth Lewin Dean Chief Executive Officer Ex Officio
Chicago, Illinois
Scientific Advisory Council
Angélique Bordey, PhD
Yale University School of Medicine
James Cloyd, PharmD
University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy
Kelly Knupp, MD
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Daniel Lowenstein, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Eric Marsh, MD, PhD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
H. Steve White, PhD
University of Washington
Vicky Whittemore, PhD
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Program Director
On September 24, 2020, we held our first-ever virtual event, Unite to CURE Epilepsy. Throughout the evening, we heard inspirational stories, learned about encouraging new research, and saw entertaining performances from legendary musical names. Moreover, we witnessed the global epilepsy community brought together by tenacity, discovery, and hope to help achieve our vision: a world without epilepsy.
Thank you to all the individuals, families, clinicians, donors, and sponsors from across the epilepsy community who joined from near and far to Unite to CURE Epilepsy. Your amazing support helped us raise $ 1.83 million for innovative research that will help us find a cure.
Thank you to the world-class entertainers for their inspirational performances, the informative updates from leading scientists who gave us a look into the world of epilepsy research, and to the members of the epilepsy community for sharing their moving stories.
Featuring
Mike Barnicle, event host, award-winning journalist and contributor to MSNBC’s Morning Joe, whose daughter, Julia, has epilepsy.
Eric Church, country music star and four-time Grammy-award nominee.
Nils Lofgren, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, member of the E Street Band, member of Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, practicing neurosurgeon and Emmy-Award winning CNN Chief Medical Correspondent.
Miguel Cervantes, Broadway, Stage, and Screen Actor.
Plus Miguel’s Broadway friends, Colin Donell, Montego Glover, Alan Green, Tamar Greene, Leslie Kritzer, Patti Murin, Eric Petersen, James Snyder, and Ben Thompson.
Epilepsy Research Needs You
During this pandemic, epilepsy research is more vulnerable than ever, with investigators experiencing delays due to mandatory time away from the lab and related additional costs for PPE and other materials. It is vital that we do all we can to ensure continued progress towards our shared vision: a world without epilepsy.
CURE Board of Directors
Susan Axelrod CURE Founder Chicago, Illinois
Stacey Pigott Board Chair Wilmette, Illinois
Ann Benschoter Immediate Past Board Chair Waverly, Iowa
Kelly Cervantes Secretary Maplewood, New Jersey
Kathy McKenna Treasurer Arlington Heights, Illinois
Michael Axelrod Elmhurst, Illinois
Lisa Cotton
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Blake Cunneen
La Grange, Illinois
Marilynn Kelly Gardner
Chicago, Illinois
Carrie Garman
Downers Grove, Illinois
Celia Huber
Palo Alto, California
David Reifman
Chicago, Illinois
Beth Lewin Dean Chief Executive Officer Ex Officio
Chicago, Illinois
Scientific Advisory Council
James Cloyd, PharmD
University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy
Kelly Knupp, MD
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Daniel Lowenstein, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Eric Marsh, MD, PhD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Manisha Patel, PhD
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Vicky Whittemore, PhD
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Program Director
Thank you to the CURE community of families, researchers, donors, and sponsors who came out to Navy Pier and raised an incredible $2 million and counting for innovative research for a cure! We are honored to be surrounded by such dedicated, caring, and unrelenting people who remain hopeful that we will create a world without epilepsy.
If you weren’t able to join us, but would like to support CURE’s mission to find a cure for epilepsy, by promoting and funding patient-focused research, you can donate now. Your support creates amazing progress in epilepsy research and will continue to drive science forward until our mission to find a cure for epilepsy is accomplished.
To the Broadway Sings for CURE sponsors, performers, hosts, and guests, you have our deepest thanks for coming out to support epilepsy research and our fight to find a cure.
Event Image Gallery
Lisa O’Hare, Gregory Treco, Tamika Lawrence, Ben Thompson, Miguel Cervantes, James Snyder, Ryann Redmond
Miguel Cervantes
Miguel Cervantes
Joshua Henry
Tamika Lawrence
Lisa O’Hare
Ryann Redmond
James Snyder
Gregory Treco
Miguel and Kelly Cervantes
James Snyder
James Synder and Jon Snyder
Sunovion Crew
Dr. Laura Lubbers, CURE Grantee Dr. Jennifer Gelinas, and the CURE Epilepsy Genetics Initiative Columbia Team
Dr. Laura Lubbers, Rici Neumann, Jonathan Sakai
Jeanne Donalty and Beth Lewin Dean
Jessica Roland and Eileen Gleason
Jeannine Ringland-Zwirn and Howard Zwirn
Dianne Raso and Guest
Jules and Susan Kaufman
Event Details
Cocktail Reception: 6:00 PM
Program: 7:30 PM
Join us for Broadway Sings for CURE, an evening of dazzling performances by Broadway stars. This event will be hosted by Miguel Cervantes, star of Chicago’s HAMILTON. Miguel understands all too well how devastating epilepsy can be, as his daughter, Adelaide, was diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy called infantile spasms at 7 months old. She continues to battle this condition every day.
An incredible line-up of Broadway stars will perform live, putting epilepsy center stage to raise funds for critically needed research. Broadway Sings for CURE features:
Joshua Henry
Carousel; Shuffle Along; Violet; Porgy and Bess; American Idiot; The Scottsboro Boys; In The Heights
Tamika Lawrence
Gettin’ the Band Back Together; Come From Away; Beautiful; If/Then; Matilda The Musical; The Book of Mormon
Lisa O’Hare
New Amsterdam (Television); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Ryann Redmond
Frozen; Escape To Margaritaville; If/Then; Bring It On: The Musical
James Snyder
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two; If/Then; Cry-Baby
Ben Thompson
Waitress; Matilda The Musical; Holler If Ya Hear Me; American Idiot
Gregory Treco Hamilton; Taboo
Tickets to this exclusive showcase are extremely limited, so don’t throw away your shot. Secure tickets or sponsorships now. If you have any questions, please reach out to Meghan Jorgensen at Events@CUREepilepsy.org.
Epilepsy can be a debilitating disease, affecting more than 65 million people worldwide. One in 26 Americans will develop the disease in their lifetime. Funding scientists worldwide to collaborate and innovate in pursuit of a cure is our mission.
The Boston CURE community reunited on April 3 for a powerful and inspiring Boston Benefit for the CURE in support of epilepsy research. The Benefit was hosted by Anne Finucane and Mike Barnicle, and Susan and David Axelrod. Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin J. Walsh participated in the evening events.
Thanks to all of our Benefit hosts, dinner chairs, generous sponsors, volunteers, donors and guests, nearly $1.1 million was raised to support CURE’s research grants program, new scientific opportunities and future breakthroughs.
Dinner Chairs:
Jack and Eileen Connors
Karen and Ken Kaplan
Brian Moynihan and Sue Berry
Thank you to the CURE community of families, researchers, donors, and sponsors who came out to Navy Pier and raised a record-breaking $2.3 million for our mission! We are honored that such a remarkable and dedicated community came together to spread hope and raise critically-needed funding.
This video, played during the Benefit, highlights why research funding remains vital 20 years after CURE’s founding, and why we should continue to be Stubborn as Hell.
The Benefit featured memorable musical performances by Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famers Eddie Vedder and Nils Lofgren and the star of Chicago’s production of HAMILTON, Miguel Cervantes. In addition, an auction of autographed items and concert experiences provided by Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famers, country music legends, and musical theater stars helped highlight the theme of music and hope.
If you weren’t able to join us, but would like to support CURE’s mission to find a cure for epilepsy, by promoting and funding patient-focused research, you can donate now.
Dianne Raso, Ann G. and James B. Ritchey Foundation
Hari Ravichandran, Ravichandran Foundation
Michael J. Sacks, GCM Grosvenor
Host Committee
Liz and Mike Axelrod
Ann and Doug Benschoter
Patrice Bugelas-Brandt and Bill Brandt
Debra A. Cafaro and Terrance K. Livingston
Wendy Coleman and James Terman
Shalee and Blake Cunneen
Karen and Larry Grisolano
Rick Jasculca
Carol Jones and Tom Hynes
Bernadette Keller and William M. Daley
Debbie and Cory Lipoff
Sharon O’Keefe and Hal Moore
Linda and Richard Price
Penny Pritzker and Bryan Traubert
Cari and Michael J. Sacks
Michele Schara and Randy Mehrberg
Marla and Eric Sedler
Margaret and Joe Tilson
Volunteers
Catherine Beer
Leon Blair
Monica Brown
Dan Casciato
Georgia Casciato
Meghan Dillow
Lenny Feingold
Pam Feingold
Matthew Filstead
Geoffrey Fishwick
Shirley Fishwick
Betsy Grimm
Vinnie Gupta
Ashleigh Henrichs
Kay Henrichs
Jesse Keig
Jeff Liguori
Vince Loconti
Susan Ly
Abby Marrazzo
Amanda Marrazzo
Dan Marrazzo
Emily Marrazzo
Tony Marrazzo
Ronnie McCarron
Nancy O’Neill
Caroline Pratt
Mary Pratt
Maureen Rizzi
Harper Robinson
Jenna Rummelhart
Sandy Saltiel
Linda Smith
Linda Sudlesky
Violet Szczebak
Steve Trombetta
Scott Tsai
Jenny Whitlock
With special thanks to our volunteers from Mesirow Financial
Sumit Desai
Andrew Hitt
Jason Macek
Kristi Macek
Maulik Patel
Michael Sefton
Ketan Shah
Silent Auction Winners
Gerald Beeson, “Springsteen on Broadway” Experience and Guitar Signed By Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Richard Jascula, Trace Adkins Signed Guitar
Michael Nelson, Toby Keith Signed Guitar and Concert Tickets
Allen Fisher, Keith Richards Signed Guitar
Karen Dixon, James Taylor Signed Guitar
Lisa Cotton, Eddie Vedder Signed Guitar
Thad Wong, Eddie Vedder Signed Guitar
Ajay Shah, Paul Simon Guitar with Personal Message
Richard Jasculca, Cheap Trick Signed Drum Head
Laura Wise, Eric Church Signed Guitar and Concert Tickets
Greg Ahern, 3 Doors Down Signed Guitar
Sherry Cotton, HAMILTON in Chicago VIP Experience
In-Kind Sponsors
3 Doors Down
Karen Lynn Accattato and Associates
Trace Adkins
AKPD Message & Media
The Allerton Hotel
Mike Axelrod
Kelly and Miguel Cervantes
Cheap Trick
Eric Church
David Yurman
Earhole Studios
The Eli’s Cheesecake Company and Maureen and Marc Schulman
Fleur De Lis
Suzanne and Albert Friedman
Friedman Family Foundation
John Gabrysiak
Toby Keith
Kivvit
Cory Lipoff
Amy and Nils Lofgren
Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen
Misericorida Heartzingers Choir
Odd Machine
Keith Richards
Second City Sound
Sidley
Paul Simon
Jasculca Terman and Associates, Inc.
James Taylor
Eddie Vedder
Terlato Wines
Walter Payton College Prep Jazz Orchestra
Wansas Tequila