News Center

For 50 years, the power of hope has driven the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center’s mission across generations, shaping its past, defining its present and guiding its future. 

Since opening its doors in 1974, Massey has been a national leader in the fight against cancer, bringing cutting-edge cancer research and patient-centered care to central Virginians. Massey was an early pioneer in surgical oncology, survivorship and palliative care, and throughout its history, Massey researchers have led and participated in clinical trials influencing national standards of care. Today, Massey stands among the nation’s elite cancer centers as a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is a national leader in cancer health equity and community engagement. 

In 2024, Massey celebrated its 50th anniversary, launching a year-long fundraising campaign culminating with a Golden Gala event in October 2024. 

Massey 50th Anniversary Golden Gala

On October 24, 2024, 600 Massey supporters gathered together at the Massey 50th Anniversary Golden Gala at Richmond’s historic Main Street Station. The spectacular black-tie event was an evening to honor Massey’s past, celebrate its present and look toward the future. 

Main Street Station glistened with candlelight and decor inspired by the ginkgo leaf, a symbol of hope, strength and resilience – qualities that resonate with Massey's mission to save and enrich lives. 

Honored guests, Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author and cancer survivor, and her husband, Jon Batiste, five-time Grammy Award-winning musician and composer, shared their experience and perspectives on the power of love and creativity in the face of cancer. Jaouad is the author of Between Two Kingdoms, a critically acclaimed memoir chronicling her journey following a diagnosis of leukemia in her early 20s.  

Batiste dazzled guests with a rousing musical performance from the candle-lit stage that included his Grammy Award-nominated “Butterfly,” a song that he wrote in 2023 as a lullaby for his wife during her treatment for leukemia, and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a nod to his native New Orleans. The composer closed with a surprise rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” to honor Becky Massey, a breast cancer survivor and member of the Massey family, for whom the center was named in 1983. 

CBS 6 news reporter and emcee for the evening, GeNienne Samuels, led a fireside chat-style conversation, where Jaouad and Batiste covered a variety of topics, including Jaouad’s personal cancer journey and the importance of keeping love at the forefront in life. The couple also talked about the impact of access to cutting-edge treatments, including bone marrow transplantation. Jaouad is a two-time bone marrow transplant recipient and a national advocate, raising awareness of health care issues affecting diverse patient populations and the need for equitable access to lifesaving treatments, including bone marrow transplantation.

Left: Jon Batiste performs at the Massey 50th Anniversary Golden Gala in October 2024. Right: Massey announced the establishment of The Suleika Jaouad Endowed Fund for Access and Equity in Cellular Therapies and Transplantation at Massey. The fund is named in honor of Jaouad and is made possible by a lead gift of $100,000 from the Massey Family Foundation. Pictured left to right: Jon Batiste, Suleika Jaouad, Becky Massey, GeNienne Samuels. Photos by Corbin Gurkin.

Becky Massey surprised the couple by announcing a new endowed fund at Massey, named for Jaouad, that aims to increase health equity for minority cancer patients. Massey established the first bone marrow transplant unit in Virginia in 1988 and remains a national leader in advanced therapies for patients with a variety of blood and bone marrow disorders. The Suleika Jaouad Endowed Fund for Access and Equity in Cellular Therapies and Transplantation, will support Massey’s Cellular Immunotherapies and Transplant (CIT) Program. 

“I am at a loss for words,” Joauad, who was visibly touched by the announcement, said. She went on to express her gratitude for the honor and her belief in its importance to expand hope for others.

John McCarty, M.D., medical director of the CIT Program, spoke to the significance of this endowment fund in furthering health equity for all patients. "This new fund marks a new chapter in our efforts to ensure that every patient, regardless of their background, has access to the lifesaving care they need,” McCarty said. “The Massey Family Foundation’s support is a crucial step in overcoming the donor availability gap, especially for minority communities."

"This endowment is a testament to the importance of building a health care system that serves everyone," said Becky Massey. The Massey Family Foundation created the fund in Jaouad’s honor with a lead gift of $100,000 that it hopes will inspire others. "We are proud to support the cancer center in its mission to expand access to cellular therapies and transplantation."

Pictured, left to right: Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey; Gordon D. Ginder, M.D., former director of Massey; honored guest, Jon Batiste; I. David Goldman, M.D., former director of Massey; and Michael Rao, Ph.D., VCU president. Photo by Jay Paul.

Michael Rao, Ph.D., VCU President and chair of the VCU Health System Authority, and Robert A. Winn, M.D., Massey director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, spoke from the podium. The celebration also debuted a series of Massey videos to honor the past, celebrate the present and look toward the future to highlight the center’s lasting impact and vision for the next 50 years. 

“I’m so proud of Massey as it celebrates 50 years of research, innovation and impact that advance our unwavering commitment to stopping cancer,” Rao said. “The greatest part of this story is not where we’ve been or where we’ve come from, but where we’re going.”

“We’re not just bystanders here at Massey. We’re making things happen today for the impact and treatment tomorrow. When I think about impact, we’ve changed the face of medicine.”  
– Robert A. Winn, M.D., Massey director and Lipman Chair in Oncology

Massey’s 50th anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate the center’s accomplishments over its history and its many contributions in lighting the path of hope toward a brighter future, together. Photo by Corbin Gurkin.

The power of community

For 50 years, generosity through corporate, foundation and individual support has empowered Massey to build hope through science and discovery and to drive the innovations of tomorrow. Philanthropy empowers the center to meet the community’s greatest needs, to explore novel ideas, to recruit and retain the nation’s best researchers and scientists, and to fund capital projects that endure. 

Throughout Massey’s history, and at the gala, the generosity of giving has continued to shine bright.  

“It has been my great honor to watch Massey grow through the extraordinary generosity of others. We are one of the top cancer institutes in the nation today because of our donors.”
– Becky Massey, Massey Advisory Board chair and cancer survivor

In 1983, William E. Massey Sr., and the Massey Family Foundation made a transformational gift to expand and name the VCU Massey Cancer Center. Philanthropic support funded the Cancer Rural Outreach Program at Massey, which would become a national model for other cancer centers across the country. Fundraising campaigns – including the Research for Life and the Campaign for Massey – expanded research, laboratory and clinical space such as the Goodwin Research Laboratory, which was named for Alice and William H. “Bill” Goodwin Jr., and the Adult Outpatient Pavilion, which opened in 2021 with its state-of-the-art Healing Space. 

Left: Massey 50th Anniversary Golden Gala honorary chairs Lila Dickinson, Alice Goodwin and Vickie Snead, with honored guest Jon Batiste (center). Photo by Jay Paul. Right: Massey 50th Anniversary co-chairs (pictured left to right) David and Patricia Lyons, and Jim and Ellen Bonbright. Photo by Corbin Gurkin.

In 2024, Massey donors contributed more than $6 million through the 50th Anniversary fundraising campaign through unrestricted and restricted giving. The campaign is ongoing through the end of December 2024. 

The Massey 50th Anniversary Golden Gala was co-chaired by Ellen and Jim Bonbright, and Patricia and David Lyons, with support from Golden Gala honorary chairs Lila Dickinson, Alice Goodwin and Vickie Snead. Special thanks also to volunteer leaders Shelly Arthur, Liz Hart Gorman, Michelle Logan, Becky Massey, Christina Todd and Judy Turbeville. 

“Fifty years and $6 million dollars raised is a lot to celebrate,” Winn said at the Golden Gala. “But, let me tell you about our future. We are changing how people think about cancer. We are recruiting and retaining the best researchers in the country. We are linking discovery and implementation sciences to introduce new drugs and new vaccine therapies that will have real impact. One day we will be talking about cancer as a chronic disease, not a life-threatening disease, one that we will be living and thriving with.” 

Explore the Massey 50th Anniversary Golden Gala keepsake book

Donate to the Massey 50th Anniversary Fund

There is still time to donate to the 50th Anniversary Fund in support of the next 50 years of impact and innovation at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

Donate Now

Written by: Blake Belden and Katherine Layton