The Society of MSK Fall Party 2026: The Plaza Dances for MSK Kids

On November 10, The Society of MSK's Associates Committee returns to the Plaza's ballroom for a cocktail-attire dinner and dance raising funds for pediatric cancer research.

By The Circuit Report · Published October 12, 2026

Some benefits trade on solemnity; the Fall Party trades on joy, and puts it to serious use. Hosted each year by the Associates Committee of The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the evening has become one of the liveliest fixtures of the New York autumn, a dinner and dance that brings a younger philanthropic generation into the Plaza Hotel's ballroom in support of MSK Kids, the pediatric cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering. This year's party takes place on Tuesday, November 10, with cocktails at 7 p.m. and dinner at 8 p.m.

The stakes are clear from last year's results. According to MSK, the 2025 Fall Party raised more than $1.1 million in total, including a record-breaking $486,000 for Empower Innovation: MSK Kids Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials, which funds research for children with rare cancers. The 2026 edition sets its sights on a new target within MSK Kids, and it does so in one of the city's most storied rooms.

The work behind the evening

The Associates Fall Party supports MSK Kids and pediatric cancer research. This year’s in-room fundraising has a named focus: Data-Driven Precision Medicine, intended to advance clinical research and treatment for childhood cancers.

MSK describes work using tools such as whole-genome sequencing and artificial intelligence to inform diagnosis and treatment decisions. The Society seeks funding to keep that research moving. Its report that the 2025 Fall Party raised more than $1.1 million, including $486,000 for a clinical-trials initiative, describes last year’s results rather than this year’s receipts. Explore the official work.

The Society is a volunteer organization supporting patient well-being and cancer research. Its event page introduces Associates Committee Chair Marcella Hymowitz and pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Julia Glade-Bender, showing the connection between the supporters raising funds and the clinical teams doing the work. Meet the organization.

Watch official films and programs. These resources introduce the organization’s work and may include earlier events.

At a glance

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: Cocktails 7 p.m.; dinner 8 p.m.
Venue: The Plaza Hotel, 768 Fifth Avenue
Dress code: Cocktail attire
Tickets: Individual tickets from $1,000; tables of ten from $15,000
Book: giving.mskcc.org/events/society-fall-party

The chairs and committee

The Fall Party is the signature event of The Society of MSK's Associates Committee, a volunteer group founded in 1984 to introduce a younger generation to The Society's philanthropic work. Marcella Hymowitz chairs the committee, a role in which MSK's event page also credits her for the 2025–2026 season; she appeared at last year's party alongside Julia Glade-Bender, MD, an MSK pediatric hematologist-oncologist, to speak about how The Society's support makes an impact on pediatric cancer research at MSK Kids. The 2026–2027 committee's vice chairs are Jean Altier Bohm, Courtney Davis and Melanie McLennan.

Behind them stands a committee of 45 members, as listed on MSK's site: Julia Amory, Abigail Baratta, Alice Berman, Francesca Bodini, Alexandra Carr, Lindsey Coleman, Krista Corl, Melissa Crandall, Mimi Ritzen Crawford, Caroline Brooks Melly Crovatto, Alessandra Di Benedetto, Mary Dillow, Madeline Dolan, Sarah Gailliot, Mary Carlisle Gambill, Mercedes de Guardiola, Barkley Hickox, Komal V. Joshi, Brooke Kennan, Breanna Khoury, Alana Killian, Sevda Kleinman, Meghan Klopp, Elizabeth Kurpis, Joyce Kwok, Carter Moore Leachman, Sherry Lee, Whitney Mogavero, Kimberly Nemser, Erin O'Connor, Betsy Pepe, Annelise Peterson, Isabel Boswell Phillips, Candice Postel, Anne Roy, Halsey Schroeder, Whitney Schwartz, Charlotte Sethness, Mary Carls Sherrill, Lilly Rogers Sisto, Carlin Sundby Smith, Stephanie X. Stamas, Katie Tochilin, Lesley Thompson Vecsler and Ritchey Howe Winkenwerder.

The program

MSK has not announced honorees, a host or entertainment for 2026, and the evening's format is its own draw: cocktails, a seated dinner and dancing, with in-room fundraising at the heart of the night. Amazon Luxury and J.P. Morgan appear as event sponsors on the official page.

What the evening funds

This year's in-room fundraising will support The Society's pediatric initiative, Data-Driven Precision Medicine, which MSK says will help advance clinical research and treatment for childhood cancers. At MSK Kids, researchers use tools such as whole-genome sequencing and artificial intelligence to make more informed diagnoses and treatment decisions. MSK notes that this work has already been shown to help individual patients, and The Society aims to ensure the program can keep driving discovery and improving outcomes.

The Society itself has a long pedigree. Founded in 1946 by a group of women dedicated to enhancing the hospital environment and patient support, it is composed of volunteers who promote patients' well-being, support cancer research and provide public education on prevention, early detection and treatment. MSK reports that The Society has raised more than $300 million over its history, and this year it marks its 80th anniversary.

Why it's on our calendar

The most persuasive argument for the Fall Party is its precision. Guests are not simply supporting cancer research in the abstract; the room's generosity is pointed at a named initiative in pediatric oncology, at a moment when genomic and computational tools are changing how childhood cancers are diagnosed and treated. Last year's record gift to investigator-initiated trials suggests that this crowd responds when the ask is specific. Add the Plaza's ballroom, a cocktail-attire dress code that keeps the evening buoyant rather than stiff, and a committee whose names read like a roll call of the city's next philanthropic generation, and the party is among the most purposeful dances of the season. The Circuit Report plans to follow up with coverage of the evening.

How to attend

Tickets and tables are sold directly through MSK's official event store. Individual tickets are offered at three levels: Bronze at $1,000 (without listing in printed materials), Silver at $1,500 and Gold at $2,000, each tax-deductible less $260. Tables of ten are available at the Platinum level for $15,000 and the Diamond level for $20,000, each tax-deductible less $2,600. To be listed in the program, guests must purchase a table or ticket, or donate, at the Silver level ($1,500) or above. MSK notes that it does not accept donor-advised-fund gifts as payment for tables or tickets. Those who cannot attend may make a fully tax-deductible gift through the event page. Questions go to Sara Brandin at brandins@mskcc.org.

Official links and further reading

Official event information · Official tickets and tables · Our event guide

Details may change; confirm the current program, availability and giving arrangements with the organizer.