LI's Olivia Hope Foundation Raises $256K At Evening Of Hope Gala: 'It Went Off Perfectly'

GARDEN CITY, NY — Olivia Hope Foundation established its new fundraising record when it raised $256K in the battle against childhood cancer at its sixth annual "Evening of Hope," held May 9 at the Garden City Hotel.

The Syosset-based pediatric cancer charity announced its new partnership with Cohen Children's Medical Center, which the charity's founder, Shelley LoRusso, called one of the evening's highlights.

Other highlights included a mother from Long Island who lost her daughter to cancer a month ago speaking about the impact of Olivia Hope Foundation; and a young girl who rang the bell to signal her status in remission, LoRusso said.

"I think it was great," LoRusso told Patch. "We had a lot of new donors there. A lot of new faces. It turned out to be a beautiful evening."

The foundation was created in memory of Olivia Hope LoRusso, who died of acute myeloid leukemia in 2017 at the age of 12.

Shelley, Olivia's mother, co-founded the charity with Amy Nikolai, Linda Donato and Lauree Vasta. Olivia's sisters, Gia and Sabrina, are also integral members of the foundation. Olivia Hope Foundation dreams to cure childhood cancer while helping children who are fighting the disease.

The funds raised at this year's gala will primarily be used to support Cohen Children's Medical Center, as well as Olivia Hope Foundation's Warrior Support program, which provides assistance for children who are going through cancer treatments and their families, Shelley said.

"We're just super grateful for the entire evening," Shelley said. "I thought it went off perfectly."

Click here to read a Q&A with Olivia Hope Foundation's Gia LoRusso.

Olivia Hope Foundation auctioned off prizes, including a trip to Sicily. A friend of Shelley's donated her waterfront apartment for six nights. The friend has family members who own restaurants in the area, and a cooking class in a local apartment on the Mediterranean is part of the package. The town is the same location where they filmed "The Godfather Part II" and Season 2 of "The White Lotus."

Other auction items that people bid on included a trip to the Cayman Islands, as well as golf outings.

Nikolai called the evening, "fabulous."