Cristian Rivera Foundation founder John “Gungie” Rivera recently paid a visit to personally give Dr. Mark Souweidane a check for the $100,000 pledged to his research at the Fifth Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Celebrity Gala. The Cristian Rivera Foundation has been one of Dr. Souweidane’s main supporters and donations from the foundation have been instrumental in getting his groundbreaking clinical trial off the ground. Dr. Souweidane was happy to accept not only the donation check but also two surprise gifts from the Fifth Annual Cristian Rivera Foundation Celebrity Gala—an Andy Pettite-autographed baseball, for which John “Gungie” Rivera outbid him by $50, and a painting of Cristian, painted live at the Gala by Japanese artist Pisu, for which Cristian Rivera Foundation Committee Member Andy Epstein outbid him by $100. Pisu has done live paintings at the Gala every year since the Third Annual Gala. The Cristian Rivera Foundation is proud to give Dr. Souweidane all of these things to show our support as he continues his work toward a cure for DIPG.
