American Cancer Society Cancels Alcohol Industry Gala — SkimNews
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- American Cancer Society canceled its upcoming Wine and Spirits Industry's Gala, a planned October fundraiser at Manhattan's Rainbow Room that had run for decades
- ACS spokesperson Michele Money-Carson confirmed the decision to "sunset" the event, framing it as part of the organization's "ongoing evaluation" of how its fundraising aligns with its mission and prevention guidance
- STAT's "Deadliest Drug" series previously reported that ACS had raked in at least $22 million from wine and liquor executives, creating what critics called an optics problem for a cancer-fighting charity
- A former ACS executive was among those who said the gala constituted an "unsettling conflict of interest," arguing the event was inappropriate given alcohol's established links to cancer
Why it matters: ACS's quiet cancellation cuts off a revenue stream that had delivered at least $22 million from the alcohol industry over the years — a notable concession for a major nonprofit, signaling that public-health groups are increasingly unwilling to accept money from industries whose products fuel the diseases they fight.
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