Dawson's Creek Stars Honor Van Der Beek at Berlanti Heroes Gala — SkimNews
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- The Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala held its third edition Saturday at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, raising money for F Cancer's early detection, prevention, and psychosocial initiatives since its 2018 founding by Greg Berlanti in memory of his mother who died of cancer.
- Kevin Williamson received the Barbara Berlanti Hero Award from Joshua Jackson and Julie Plec, recognized for organizing a September 2025 Dawson's Creek table read to support Van Der Beek after his colon cancer diagnosis.
- James Van Der Beek died in February at age 48; Williamson said the actor was unable to fly to the table read because doctors wouldn't clear him, calling the benefit "probably one of the most special nights of my life."
- Katherine LaNasa received the Inspirational Hero Award; The Pitt creator R. Scott Gemmill cited her sexual assault nurse examiner storyline, which he said led to Allegheny General Hospital receiving $20,000 more to train additional SANEs.
- Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete to compete in a major American pro sports league, received the Memorial Hero Award posthumously after dying of glioblastoma in May; his husband Brunson Green accepted from Octavia Spencer.
- Seal closed the night performing hits, with attendees including The Pitt stars Noah Wyle, Patrick Ball, and Shawn Hatosy, plus HBO Max executives Casey Bloys and Sarah Aubrey and Warner Bros Television leadership.
Why it matters: Van Der Beek's posthumous tribute and LaNasa's award — already tied to a $20,000 increase in SANE training funding at Allegheny General Hospital — show how the gala converts celebrity cancer diagnoses into measurable action, with F Cancer's early detection initiatives as the direct beneficiary.
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