On Wednesday night, the stars of the Cleveland Cavaliers ‘sat the bench’ as the true stars of the night took center stage at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs hosted the annual “Big Shots and Little Stars” gala to benefit Flashes of Hope and The Children’s Tumor Foundation. The highlight of the evening, as it is every year, was the fashion show where the full Cavs roster, Cavs ownership and other Cleveland-area “Big Shots” walked the runway with the “Little Stars” of the night – pediatric cancer patients and survivors.
Each year the black-tie event welcomes one thousand Clevelanders to The Q for a night of food, drinks, entertainment and, most importantly, inspiration. Guests first enjoyed a reception where they were able to mingle with Cavs coaches, front office staff and Legends and were entertained by members of the Scream Team and Cavs mascots.
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Following the reception, it was show time. Cavs in-arena hosts Ahmaad and Nicole took to the stage and were joined by Flashes of Hope founder, Allison Clarke, and Cavs majority owner, Dan Gilbert, in addressing the crowd. There was also a spirited live auction and other entertainment.
Then came the piece de resistance: more than 40 “Big Shots,” including Cavs players and ownership, strutting their stuff down the runway with their “Little Stars,” much to the enjoyment of the crowd. Wearing suits instead of uniforms and strolling the runway instead of running the court, the Cavaliers gladly stepped aside to let the spotlight shine brightly on the heartwarming and inspirational “Little Stars.”
About Flashes of Hope:
Flashes of Hope raises funds to accelerate a cure for children’s cancer while honoring the unique life and memories of every child fighting cancer. Founded in Cleveland in 2001 by parents of a child with cancer, Flashes of Hope has photographed close to 60,000 children across the country and raised millions of dollars for critically needed research. Flashes of Hope honors the courage of children with cancer; they capture a moment in time and fund research so they will have the chance to create a lifetime of memories. For more information: https://flashesofhope.org/.
About Children’s Tumor Foundation:
The Children's Tumor Foundation is dedicated to driving research, expanding knowledge and advancing care for individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis (NF), the term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2 and schwannomatosis. Since its formation, CTF has been crucial to the development of solid scientific data about the disorders. CTF is revolutionizing the field of NF research with a vision to End NF. For more information: https://www.ctf.org/.