Fight Cancer in Ukraine, Bid on Chris Rock Tickets at Lyric Fundraiser

To support the American Cancer Society’s effort to help fight cancer in the Ukraine, the Ashling Kitchen & Bar team created the $1,000 Cocktail, which they describe as “the cocktail that gives back.” Two cocktails will be auctioned off, each garnished with a pair of tickets to see the Chris Rock Ego Death Tour at The Lyric on April 23, along with a $100 gift certificate to the Ashling. These are orchestra tickets in the 4th row of the theater. Bidders must come into the restaurant, located at 1286 Route 3 South, Suite 3, Crofton in person between April 15 – 17 to bid on the $1,000 Cocktail.

Husband and wife co-owners of the Ashling Kitchen & Bar in Crofton, Maryland, Saeed Ashrafzadeh and Elise Letavish, know first-hand what it’s like to fight cancer. Elise was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at age 34 during the pandemic in October 2020. A loving hug from her husband that caused her breast pain was Elise’s first symptom. “We dealt with two C’s – cancer and COVID,” said Saeed, but the pair understand that fighting cancer in a war zone is even more daunting. More than 179,000 newly diagnosed patients with cancer are among the Ukrainian people suffering from Russia's unprovoked aggression.

“The perseverance of our Ashling team to support Elise and the restaurant helped us stay afloat during the pandemic and her treatment,” said Saeed. “It wasn’t an option for us to give up hope. Don’t give up. There are a lot of resources out there, and we commend and support the American Cancer Society (ACS) for helping cancer patients in the Ukraine.” In addition, Saeed and Elyse are making a generous $5,000 donation of their own to ACS. To raise awareness of Ukraine crisis, Ashling is serving Ukrainian dishes called “Cuisine of the Brave” beginning next week.

Backgrounder on ACS Ukrainian Efforts:
The American Cancer Society (ACS), in partnership with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center-Jefferson Health, has taken steps to support all Ukrainian cancer patients and their families, including migrant and multicultural communities. Efforts include a Clinician Volunteer Corps and free cancer resources available in English, Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian through their patient information websites at www.cancer.org/ukrainesupport and www.cancer.net/ukraine, with additional patient education resources planned.

Volunteer Opportunities For Oncology Professionals
An initiative – The Clinician Volunteer Corps -- has been created to assist cancer patients, family members and clinicians in Eastern Europe. The American Cancer Society is recruiting volunteers who are oncology professionals to assist. Oncologists and oncology nurses can sign up at www.cancer.org/ukrainevolunteer. This corps will serve as a resource to those in need in Eastern Europe by enabling health professional volunteers to work with American Cancer Society National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) team members to field inquiries from patients, family members, and clinicians. NCIC specialists answer calls and connect them to health professionals to address as appropriate. NCIC can be reached 24 hours a day at 800-227-2345.
“Disruptions to cancer treatment pose a grave risk to the survival of Ukrainian patients with cancer,” said Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society. “We, along with our invaluable partners, are committed to leveraging our expertise and vast network to help Ukrainian cancer patients and their families, as well as the Ukrainian oncology research and care community.”
“The world’s cancer community is coming together in solidarity to provide support for the countless displaced patients whose cancer treatments have been disrupted and who now need help finding care,” said Julie R. Gralow, MD, FACP, FASCO, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of ASCO. “As oncologists, our members are uniquely qualified to provide timely cancer information to help both healthcare providers and displaced patients in desperate need of cancer expertise. We’re calling on all those who are able to help, especially those who speak Ukrainian and other Eastern European languages from the region.”
As a global organization, ACS and our partners stand in solidarity with all Ukrainians. Our focus is on countries with the most need where we can achieve measurable results. Many cases of cancer can be prevented or treated successfully, especially if detected early and work with partners throughout the world to help shape the global policy agenda as it pertains to global cancer control.
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