Donna was interviewed before this year’s ball by Erica Redmond of The Washington Examiner:
Is this the only Leukemia ball in the nation?
We have many black-tie events in some of our other chapters in the society, but this is the only one of this size. It's the largest in our organization.
What is your involvement in planning the Leukemia Ball?
Myself and a small, select group of staff members work with our volunteer committee, which is made up of 60 volunteers that help us go out and leverage their relationships to help us sell tables and sell raffle tickets. And also our volunteers help us secure over 400 items for our auction. My role is to work with our volunteers to help keep them motivated and focused on leveraging their relationships.
Can the general public purchase tickets to the ball?
Individual tickets are available to the ball. They're $1,000 for an individual ticket. You don't have to come in just by buying a table.
Do you have to buy a ticket to get raffle ticket?
You do not, and you do not have to be present to win. One of the exciting things is that we only have 6,000 tickets available.
I know you've had entertainers like Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Lionel Richie and Hootie and the Blowfish in the past. Who are this year's entertainers?
We are so excited that the fabulous Diana Ross is coming to perform for us this year, and also comedian John Heffron. John is most known as the winner of the first season of "Last Comic Standing."
In March the Examiner subsequently headlined the event “Star-studded Leukemia Ball goes off Supremely”
A report by Katy Adams and Nikki Schwab stated:
Divalicious Diana Ross' sparkling personality and performance lit up the 24th Annual Leukemia Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Saturday evening.
NBC 4 sports reporter and emcee Lindsay Czarniak, and Donna McKelvey, executive director of the National Capital Area Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, coincidentally wore matching magenta dresses. Although they rarely shared the stage, at least one of the ladies was almost always onstage throughout the night. While posing for photos together, Czarniak and McKelvey acknowledged the fluke and complimented each other on their fashion sense.
The Leukemia Ball is D.C.'s largest nonpolitical black tie gala, and it has raised more than $40 million since it began in 1988. This year, the event drew more than 2,500 guests and featured more than 400 silent-auction items. Attendees and nonattendees alike were also able to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win cars donated by Mercedes Benz. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go toward the society's mission to cure blood cancers.
The event features live music and a comedian each year. Past performers have included Jay Leno and Hootie and the Blowfish. Joining Ross this year was John Heffron, winner of NBC's "Last Comic Standing." Heffron, recently returned from a family road trip, based his routine on time spent with his wife.
"Wives help you know when the exit sign is coming," Heffron joked. "It's very helpful because I haven't quite figured out how to use that big green sign with arrows."
http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/yeas-nays/2011/03/star-studded-leukemia-ball-goes-supremely#ixzz1PkHKaLqT
During the course of the time Donna has been with the charity her approach in a job she was serious about took on a very personal dimension.
“Some years ago, unfortunately, my father was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer," said Donna. "This is now not only a career but it's a passion."
Her father's diagnosis gave her a renewed determination to find a cure.
"I was incredibly surprised," she said. " I think just as many of our patient families never expect a cancer diagnosis is going to happen to you or your family. Now there's a greater sense of empathy for what our patients and their families go through."
Donna is a mother of three and a Working Woman who manages a large staff, hundreds of volunteers and a fundraising goal for of more than $13 million for this year alone. But it's her father's struggle that kept her even more focused.
While leukemia is the leading cause of death for children under 15, many people don't realize that ten times as many adults are diagnosed with blood cancer.
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