Get your tickets: A Night Out with 1 North honors hospital staff while raising money for cancer research

An annual night of appreciation for some VIP healthcare providers is approaching, as the Handler Hope Foundation gears up to donate $75,000 to the Lauren Handler Research Fund in partnership with Northwell Health.

The Handler Hope Foundation is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for awareness and research of HER2 positive and triple negative (NNN) breast cancers. A Night Out with 1 North was created to give a well-deserved evening out to the dedicated staff of Huntington Hospital’s Cancer Center (known as 1 North), including the doctors and teams who helped care for the foundation’s namesake, Northport Village resident Lauren Handler, while she courageously fought HER2-positive breast cancer.

While the “primary purpose of ‘A Night Out with 1 North’ is to express gratitude to the compassionate staff at Huntington Hospital’s Cancer Center who tirelessly care for cancer patients in the community,” via a complimentary night out, said a spokesperson for the foundation, the event also helps channel substantial funds into groundbreaking research.

Both HER2-positive and triple negative breast cancers have a high propensity for metastasis, specifically into the brain, yet the current medical and insurance guidelines don’t support further monitoring once a patient with either HER2-positive or triple negative breast cancer is treated and labeled “cancer-free.” In November 2021, Lauren went to the emergency room with a strong and persistent headache; her cancer had spread to her brain. She passed away six months later.

Established in 2022 through a generous $25,000 donation from the Handler Hope Foundation, the Lauren Handler Research Fund partners with Northwell Health to propel the research efforts of the Chief of Neurosurgery, Dr. Kerr, and Chief of Radiation Medicine, Dr. Zinken. Their innovative research aims to prove that routine monitoring and detection of HER2-positive and NNN breast cancers can significantly improve the prognosis for patients battling these aggressive subtypes.

“We need to improve the way we protect HER2 positive and triple negative breast cancer patients,” the foundation’s founder, Darren Handler, told the Journal. “These two breast cancer types have a significantly higher risk of metastasis and we do nothing differently to manage that risk. The research we are funding will prove that something as simple as routine monitoring for these high-risk breast cancer types will improve the prognosis for these patients.”

In keeping with its commitment to supporting cancer research, the Handler Hope Foundation has pledged a total donation of $75,000 to the Northwell Health Lauren Handler Research Fund in 2023. The foundation made its initial installment of $25,000 in April. The upcoming Night Out with 1 North event will mark the second installment of $25,000, with the final installment of $25,000 scheduled for December. By focusing on improving the prognosis for HER2-positive and NNN breast cancer patients, the foundation continues to make a meaningful impact on cancer care.

A Night Out with 1 North will take place at Repeal XVIII in Huntington Village on Thursday, August 17, from 5 to 9pm and is open to all community members. Tickets to the event are available until August 14 and can be purchased here. To learn more about the Handler Hope Foundation, or to make a donation, visit www.handlerhopefoundation.com. Details on the Lauren Handler Research Fund can be found here.