The Society of MSK Hosted Its 17th Spring Ball At The Plaza Hotel

Scarlett Johansson and Muffie Potter AstonPatrick McMullan/Getty Images

Last night, The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering hosted its annual Spring Ball to raise funds for the cancer center’s critical research and patient care programs. For its 17th iteration, the Spring Ball s initiative is focused on funding Artificial Intelligence and Noninvasive Technologies for Oncologic Dermatology.

Upon ascending into the grand ballroom of The Plaza Hotel, notable attendees such as Scarlett Johansson, Gillian Hearst, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, and more were greeted by non-stop chatter and the crystalline clinks of glasses that echoed through the reception hall. As the call of the gong reverberated, guests were ushered inside the ballroom, stepping into a veritable spring wonderland filled with towers of pink hydrangea, peonies, and roses from Belle Fleur with their bloom mirrored in the ceiling through light projections by Bentley Meeker. The room itself was a vision of pink, but guests took it upon themselves to add color and shimmer as they adorned in a riot of floral frocks, from Oscar de la Renta to Prada, each glimmering with sequins, pearls, and sparkling embellishments.

“As you can probably tell from this room, we are full to capacity, and that s a high-class problem,” Muffie Potter Aston, president of The Society of MSK, told guests. Aston thanked her co-chairs for their tireless efforts in bringing the evening to life, as well as Dr. Selwyn Vickers, CEO of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The evening also saw American Express making a generous donation of $250,000 on behalf of former CEO James D. Robinson III. “One thing about Amex, you know you can’t leave home without it,” Aston teased to the cheering crowd.

Beyond the dazzling decor and couture, the evening was driven by a crucial objective to raise funds for a groundbreaking AI and healthcare initiative spearheaded by a tandem of brilliant dermatologists Dr. Veronica Rotemberg and Dr. Alina Markova. “At MSK, we are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life,” said Dr. Markova. “Our physicians and scientists drive innovations in how we care for people with cancer, transform how we understand the disease, and develop the next generation of leaders in cancer medicine.” The initiative will revolutionize skin cancer detection and treatment, harnessing AI for improved diagnostics and developing noninvasive technology to minimize treatment side effects.

Dinner service began with a baby beet salad followed by melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin. As auctioneer Lydia Fenet appeared in the ballroom’s gilded balcony, the room immediately grew tense with anticipation, guests bracing themselves for the celebrated auctioneer s call to open up their wallets—and open their wallets they did. In the spirit of altruism the evening raised over $2 million for the groundbreaking initiative.

To celebrate the outpour of generosity, DJ Twilo hit play on The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men,” and attendees rushed to the dance floor, leaving behind their desserts—because who needs a sugar high when you ve got a cause worth dancing for?