Our 13th annual Live It Up! gala on Thursday, October 23, 2025, was a meaningful fundraiser for our nonprofit mission and a chance to connect personally with our community of change-makers, supporters, client families, and Board Members.
If you missed the celebration, here’s a recap.
Your Impact at Live It Up! 2025
More than 350 people gathered to celebrate hope, and thanks to the generosity of our community:
The 2025 Live It Up! gala raised over $190,000 to support Help Hope Live’s mission.
As our Executive Director, Kelly L. Green, reflected:
“You may never meet them, but thousands of individuals will feel the impact of this night for the rest of their lives. Compassion isn’t a feeling: it’s an action. You show us what it looks like when people refuse to let someone face a medical crisis alone.”
Highlights from Live It Up! 2025
We are grateful to Jeff Anderson Photography for capturing a little of the magic and impact of our special night. Click here to see more photos on Facebook.
A special thank-you to returning emcee Cherri Gregg, who used the power of her voice throughout the night with grace, meaning, and purpose to draw guests closer to the “why” behind our mission and gala.
Our 2025 Help Hope Live Awardees
Each of our awardees this year uses the power of their voice for good as they advocate for causes that matter, push technology and health care forward, unite communities in support, and amplify hope. Meet them below.
2025 Help Award: Alan T. Brown
Our 2025 Help Award was received by Alan T. Brown, Director of New Partner Engagement for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Alan’s journey with advocacy began nearly 40 years ago when he helped raise $25,000 to help his high school best friend, Danny Heumann, who had sustained a spinal cord injury a few years prior.
Just six weeks later, Alan’s life took an unexpected turn when he became paralyzed himself in a diving accident, just months shy of his 21st birthday.
Alan experienced firsthand the life-changing emotional, physical, and financial impact of a spinal cord injury.
Less than a year after his injury, Alan began dedicating his time, experience, and talent to helping others in the paralysis community.
His work led to the creation of a foundation that eventually became part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, where he continues to support and uplift others living with paralysis as a key part of their National Paralysis Resource Center.
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center embodies the Foundation’s mission to deliver “Today’s Care” while pursuing “Tomorrow’s Cure.” Co-founded by Christopher and Dana Reeve during their search for resources following Christopher’s spinal cord injury, the Center focuses on fostering community engagement, promoting health, and enhancing quality of life.
Over the three decades since his injury, Alan has raised tens of millions of dollars to support care and hope for impacted individuals and families while fueling the search for a cure for paralysis.
While contributing to a mission with national and global significance, Alan has provided personal mentorship and ongoing support to individuals with paralysis. As Cherri explained:
“Alan doesn’t just send families to Help Hope Live. He becomes part of their journey. He stays connected. He shows up. He becomes a friend, an advocate, and a partner.”
2025 Hope Award: Dr. Robert A. Montgomery
Our 2025 Hope Award was received by world renowned transplant surgeon Dr. Robert A. Montgomery.
Growing up in Philadelphia, Dr. Montgomery’s path was shaped by personal loss: his father passed away from cardiomyopathy at just 52, unable to receive a heart transplant due to age restrictions.
That moment sparked a lifelong mission for Dr. Montgomery to expand access to organ transplantation.
Dr. Montgomery lived with his own inherited heart condition and became the first practicing surgeon to receive an implantable defibrillator. While at Johns Hopkins, he pioneered laparoscopic kidney procurement and the “domino” kidney transplant—innovations that expanded access for hard-to-match patients.
He continued his trailblazing work at NYU Langone. Under his leadership, NYU Langone has increased organ transplants thanks to bold solutions, including the use of viable organs often rejected due to HCV or HIV; and xenotransplantation, saving human lives with the use of pig hearts and kidneys.
Dr. Montgomery has personally performed more than 1,000 kidney transplants.
When Dr. Montgomery needed a heart transplant himself, he accepted a hepatitis C–positive organ, becoming living proof of his hope and commitment to the future of transplantation.
His connection to Help Hope Live is deeply personal. Dr. Montgomery performed the kidney transplant that gave our Executive Director, Kelly L. Green, six more years with her mom— an act of skill and kindness that forever linked him to our mission.
Dr. Montgomery’s groundbreaking work in transplantation has instilled hope in countless patients and families, fueled by unparalleled innovation and care. He was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and Time’s 100 Most Influential People in Health for 2025.
As Cherri shared:
“Dr. Montgomery’s career is a testament to his brilliance and humanity. His voice and influence continue to shape transplant medicine and inspire hope.”
2025 Live Award: Patrice Jetter
Our 2025 Live Award was received by Patrice Jetter, Help Hope Live client and star of Emmy-winning documentary Patrice: The Movie.
Living with diplegic cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities, Patrice has been a beloved school crossing guard in Hamilton, New Jersey, for more than 30 years, keeping her community safe with a smile and a wave. Off the clock, Patrice is an athlete, a volunteer ice-skating instructor, and a talented artist.
Through the eye-opening 2024 documentary that explored her personal story, Patrice has become the figurehead for a universal fight for equality and independence across the disability community.
She and her partner of 35-plus years, Garry Wickham, found they were unable to get married without being subject to a disability benefits “marriage penalty,” which would decimate their ability to survive financially.
Kept apart by a broken and unfair system—including a disability savings cap that hasn’t been updated since 1989—Patrice opened her heart and her life to the public in Patrice: The Movie while overcoming personal barriers to work and independence.
Help Hope Live became a part of Patrice’s life after a GoFundMe campaign unexpectedly resulted in a devastating loss: funds raised for a van for Patrice went into her bank account and were viewed as “personal income,” causing Patrice to exceed her disability savings cap and lose her state-funded housing and Medicaid.
Patrice rebuilt her quest for a van and her hope by partnering with Help Hope Live’s trusted medical fundraising platform in 2022. She met her $55,000 fundraising goal and secured the accessible van of her dreams, allowing her to continue her work as a crossing guard and her advocacy for marriage equality.
She’s traveled coast to coast for film screenings, crossed oceans to attend international festivals and red carpets, and danced with the former President at the White House. As Cherri shared:
“Through it all, Patrice has used her voice to advocate for fairness, dignity, and hope. She is living by example, every step of the way.”
2025 Rainey Award for Volunteer of the Year: Ron Siggs
Our 2025 Rainey Award was received by Ron Siggs, former Help Hope Live Board Chair and Jefferson Moss-Magee’s Senior VP of Development.
One of our organization’s longest-serving Board Members, in addition to his generosity as a donor and volunteer, Ron has played a crucial role in steering Help Hope Live’s growth.
His journey began nearly two decades ago with Help Hope Live’s first catastrophic injury campaign in honor of Katie Samson.
Since then, he’s mentored Board Members and staff, championed fundraising efforts, and served as a trusted ally to countless patient families who begin their journey at Magee and find their way to Help Hope Live through his compassionate guidance.
Our Rainey Award is named in memory of Art and Nancy Rainey, two extraordinary supporters whose legacy continues to shape Help Hope Live. Art joined the Help Hope Live Board in 2001, inspired by Nancy’s transplant journey. Together, they were loyal donors, event attendees, and proud members of our legacy giving circle, The Kolff Society.
The Rainey Award honors individuals who embody their deep commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism. As Board Chair Jim Madden observed:
“Ron Siggs is a perfect reflection of that legacy.”
Personal Story – Universal Need
Brand Champion Barrett Brooks moved the room to give by sharing his own personal connection to our mission. Initially drawn to Help Hope Live through his wife’s work in health care, Barrett’s understanding of our impact deepened when he experienced his own unexpected medical crisis.
As Barrett shared during our gala’s Fund a Need, Barrett needed a transplant himself in the summer of 2025. Even with good insurance, he faced $17,000 in out-of-pocket transplant expenses.
“I was lucky—I was able to cover that, but so many people aren’t,” Barrett explained:
“That’s why Help Hope Live matters. Lifesaving treatment shouldn’t depend on financial wealth.”
Hope by the Numbers
Help Hope Live has raised over $200 million since 1983 and assisted more than 25,000 individuals and families.
Last year alone:
Nearly 900 people joined our client community for trusted medical fundraising—and we provided $9.2 million in direct assistance.
Use the Power of YOUR Voice for Hope
As a member of our community, you have an opportunity to use the power of your voice to speak out, connect, share, advocate, and inform. As Barrett used his voice to remind us:
“Every person fighting for their health deserves the same opportunity to heal, to live, and to thrive. Help Hope Live makes that possible.”
For every family still waiting for a breakthrough.
For every story still being written.
For every life, every step, and every breath that deserves a fighting chance.
Don’t let this gala be the end of your steadfast support for our mission. Join our compassionate community when you donate today:
