Good Morning America's Robin Roberts to speak in Salem
Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America, author and cancer survivor, will be the keynote speaker at the 11th annual benefit of the Medical Foundation of Marion & Polk Counties on April 17 at the Historic Elsinore Theatre in Salem.
"I've followed her journey of going through breast cancer and the grace and strength she exhibited has always been so inspirational," said Shaney Starr, director of the Medical Foundation. "She has such a story from both the medical perspective and the survivor perspective. We've been trying to get her for two years."
Tickets traditionally go on sale for this event in January.
The Medical Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was formed in 1999 by the Marion-Polk County Medical Society, and more than $1 million has been raised through the event the past 10 years to support programs centered on health care and the local community.
Roberts is the latest in a long list of big-name celebrities that the Medical Foundation has brought to Salem. Last year, journalist, producer and philanthropist Soledad O'Brien was the keynote speaker at the benefit. Others have included Olympic speedskater Apolo Ohno, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and former first lady Barbara Bush.
"I think the mission and programs of our Medical Foundation really spoke to her," Starr said.
Roberts began her broadcasting career more than 30 years ago as a sports anchor and reporter for local news stations before landing a job as a sportscaster with ESPN in 1990.
She joined Good Morning America in 2005, and has interviewed countless celebrities and news makers, including President Barack Obama, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and NBA superstar LeBron James.
Roberts is perhaps best known most recently for her courageous and public battle to overcome breast cancer and then myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood disorder for which she underwent a bone marrow transplant.
She has been recognized with awards and honors from organizations around the country, including The Susan G. Komen Foundation and The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. In 2013, she was awarded ESPN's Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
Her best-selling book, "From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By," was published in 2007 and a year later, an updated version was released to include a chapter about her breast cancer battle. It is titled, "From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By."
She also has published "My Story, My Song – Mother-Daughter Reflections on Life and Faith" in 2012, and "Everybody's Got Something" just this past April.
Starr believes Roberts could wind up being one of the foundation's biggest draws. The 2013 benefit, featuring Capt. Mark Kelly and Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, netted an all-time high of $179,000.
"I think her message of courage, strength and hope and really having that survivor spirit is really going to resonate with providers in the medical community and members of the community who have gone through their own struggle of breast cancer of other medical issues," Starr said.
Proceeds from the event will support the foundation's programs, including MedAssist and Project Access, which help low-income patients access free prescription medications and donated medical care; MOMS Plus, which provides peer support for single mothers in recovery; and Reach Out and Read, an early literacy initiative that connects pediatric providers with young children and their families.
For more information about the foundation, go to www.mpmedsociety.org.
The A-list
The Medical Foundation of Marion & Polk Counties has brought an impressive list of speakers to Salem for its annual fundraiser:
2015 Robin Roberts
2014 Soledad O'Brien
2013 Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords
2012 Apolo Ohno
2011 Henry Winkler and Marlee Matlin.
2010 F.W. de Klerk
2009 Sarah Ferguson
2008 Christopher Gardner
2007 Barbara Bush
2006 Jean-Michel Cousteau
2005 Jane Goodall