Katie Oppo Annual Gala

The Annual Katie Oppo Gala will be held on Friday, Nov. 13. The event will take place at Leonard’s of Great Neck and will be a wonderful night of dinner, dancing and a silent auction.
Katie Rose Oppo spent an amazing childhood growing up in Manhasset where she graduated from Manhasset High School in 2009. Her intellectual achievements, coupled with her love of the sciences, led her to attend Johns Hopkins University. At school, Oppo focused on completing the pre-med requirements in preparation for fulfilling her dream of becoming a physician.
In August 2010, prior to her sophomore year at Hopkins, Oppo was diagnosed at 19 years of age with Stage IV Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic Type (SCCHOT), a rare and life threatening disease. SCCHOT affects seemingly healthy young women. The median age of diagnosis is 23 and patients usually die within two years. Oppo was shocked by the lack of information surrounding SCCHOT and vowed to do something to change that problem.
Oppo continued to maintain a positive outlook and counter each obstacle with dignity and grace. She didn’t flinch when she faced multiple surgeries and four cycles of the most toxic chemotherapy regimens. Instead, she made plans with her family and friends and lived her life as fully as could be imagined under the circumstances.
On April 11, 2011, after valiantly battling her illness for eight months, Oppo left this world without ever giving up hope. She had a unique impact on all who were fortunate enough to have known her, as well as those who only knew her through her story. It is her wish that we shed light on this rare and life threatening disease.
Shortly after Oppo’s passing, Liz Oppo, founded the Katie Oppo Research Fund (KORF). Determined to carry out her daughter’s wish, Liz has been running the charity with a handful of dedicated volunteers, who dearly refer to themselves as Team Katie and are dedicated to the cause and memory of Katie Oppo.
KORF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and funding research for the prevention, treatment and cure of SCCHOT, as well as all forms of ovarian cancer. The goal is to shed light on SCCOHT by funding research so others facing this challenge are not alone.
KORF currently funds research that targets the causes of ovarian cancer and investigates viable, groundbreaking avenues of prevention, treatment and cure. In spring of 2014, researchers identified a genetic mutation that could be an important and groundbreaking step in finding the first treatments that are effective for treating SCCHOT. Dr. Levine, a gynecologic oncologist who led the research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, credits KORF for funding genetic analysis on rare tumor samples that helped them reach that discovery.
All proceeds go directly to the research fund and are granted to cancer research institutions and individual researchers. KORF raises money through local events like the annual Katie Oppo Memorial Run, Katie Oppo Research Fund Concerts and Katie Oppo Annual Galas. Next Friday, everyone is invited to attend the event and be part of this wonderful cause.
To RSVP, learn more about the organization and upcoming events, or donate, please visit www.teamkatieoppo.org.