Gala for Life Shatters Record With $2.8 Million Raised, Honors Jo Smith Legacy
| The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS raised a record-breaking $2.8 million at its annual Gala for Life, fueling promising cancer research, innovative treatments and outreach for Arkansans statewide.
The black-tie event, held Sept. 20 at Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center, drew hundreds of supporters from across the state for an evening of celebration, philanthropy and remembrance. The gala’s theme, Angels Among Us, honored the dedication of UAMS health care workers and paid tribute to Nancy “Jo” Smith, UAMS’ longtime special services director, who died in August.
Nearly $1.4 million was raised during the evening, which was then doubled thanks to a dollar-for-dollar matching gift from the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. Proceeds will launch the Nancy Jo Smith Endowment for Community Engagement and Patient Navigation, expanding the Cancer Institute’s prevention, screening and patient navigation services in rural Arkansas.
“This year’s Gala for Life is one we should all be proud of,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and a UAMS vice chancellor. “The theme of the Gala, Angels Among Us, reflects what happens at the Cancer Institute every day. The doctors, nurses, staff — even the parking valets — all deliver such great care. They are the angels, and I am deeply grateful to work alongside them.”
Birrer and UAMS Interim Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., both praised event chair Mandy Macke, executive director of the Pat & Willard Walker Charitable Foundation. Macke followed Natalie Rockefeller as chair of the gala and will assume leadership of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Board of Advisors next summer.
“Mandy, you work so diligently, and you help UAMS in so many ways,” said Barnes. “And you do it always with an incredible smile on your face.”
Macke chaired the most successful Gala for Life in the event’s 29-year history in support of UAMS, the Cancer Institute and in memory of Smith, who posthumously received the 2025 Pat & Willard Walker Tribute Award. Her son, J.C. Smith, accepted the award on her behalf. View the video tribute to Jo at this link.
“We are here to support innovation and expanded access to cancer care but also to celebrate the individuals who make that possible,” said Macke. “Pat and Willard Walker had a longstanding commitment to UAMS. I am honored to carry on their legacy of support and to celebrate their good friend, Jo.”
Smith was remembered by many attendees for her warmth, leadership and dedication. “In many ways, she is the quintessential angel among us,” Birrer said. “Jo was there for everyone all the time. My guess is that she’s looking down on us and likes what she sees.”
Barnes spoke personally of his decades-long friendship with Smith.
“I was very close to Jo for 40 years, since I was a medical student,” he said. “So many people told me tonight they came here for Jo. I’m honored to be part of this event in her memory.”
Barnes also highlighted the importance of the university’s broad mission in his welcome to guests.
“On behalf of the 12,500 UAMS family members, I want to welcome you to tonight’s event,” Barnes said. “We are extremely proud of the Cancer Institute and the clinical care that is provided by the many doctors, nurses and UAMS team members who care for cancer patients there. We are the only academic medical center in the state. It’s not just clinical care — it’s research and education. We train the people who take care of the citizens of this state, and we take that mission very seriously.”
The gala also celebrated UAMS and the Cancer Institute’s recent successes, including national recognition from U.S. News & World Report as a top performer in cancer care, record cancer research funding and a fivefold increase in enrollment in cancer clinical trials.
“This has been a banner year for the Cancer Institute,” Birrer said. “We are on the fast track and anticipate refining our application for National Cancer Institute designation and submitting it in January 2026.”
The Gala for Life, presented by the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, remains the Cancer Institute’s largest annual fundraiser. With this year’s record-setting success, Birrer said the institute is poised to expand its impact across the state.
“Everyone should be very, very proud,” he said. “Together, we’re ensuring that Arkansans have access to world-class care and our expanded outreach efforts to prevent and detect cancer early will ease the heavy burden that cancer places on families throughout this state.”
Donations to the Gala for Life can be made through Sept. 30 and will be matched by the Walker Foundation. To make a gift, visit https://cancer.uams.edu/the-gala-for-life/. Photos of the event can be viewed at this link.