Cristian Rivera Foundation Marks Its 17th Annual Celebrity Gala at Cipriani Wall Street

At a Glance

• The 17th Annual Celebrity Gala was held Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, New York City.
• Foundation board members Kenan Thompson, Darlene Rodriguez and Luis Guzmán hosted.
• Honorees were David Cone, Dr. David Langer, Daniel O'Toole, Col. Marisol A. Chalas and Lisha Ayala.
• The foundation has donated more than $4 million to D.I.P.G. research and family support.

The Cristian Rivera Foundation held its 17th Annual Celebrity Gala on Tuesday, November 10, at Cipriani Wall Street. The black-tie benefit raises money for research into Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or D.I.P.G., a rare and aggressive pediatric brain stem tumor, and for the families living with it.

Three of the foundation's celebrity board members hosted: Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured cast member of Saturday Night Live; Darlene Rodriguez, anchor of NBC's Today New York; and actor Luis Guzmán.

Former New York Yankees pitcher and commentator David Cone received the Heroes Award for the work of his namesake foundation with young people. The Vision of Hope Award went to Dr. David Langer, chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Daniel O'Toole, a trial lawyer at Block O'Toole & Murphy, received the Philanthropic Leadership Award for his support of pediatric healthcare organizations. Board member Col. Marisol A. Chalas received the Service and Dedication Award.

The CRF Warrior Award went to Lisha Ayala, who has lived with D.I.P.G. for more than 10 years.

Proceeds support clinical trials at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College and Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital. The foundation also gives financial assistance to affected families.

It has funded trials led by Dr. Mark Souweidane, Vice Chair of Neurological Surgery and Director of Pediatric Neurological Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Ayala was the first survivor of those trials. Before 2012 there were no known survivors, according to the foundation. Today there are five.

"Every child and family facing D.I.P.G. deserves a future," said John "Gungie" Rivera, the foundation's founder and president. "Together, we continue to fight for cures, support families, and turn heartbreak into hope."

Rivera established the foundation in 2009 after losing his son Cristian, who was diagnosed with D.I.P.G. at four years old. The New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) describes itself as one of the nation's largest financial supporters of D.I.P.G. research and family support.

The RMM Group was the gala's platinum sponsor. Gold sponsors were Goya, Patrick B Jenkins & Associates, Block O'Toole & Murphy, AVYXA and Fotini Allteni Kokeri.