Rise Up for Rosen!
Gala raised $300,000 for the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund
By Deborah Alvarez O’Neil
Photos by Matt Wright ’10
Few thought they could truly make it happen. Imagine planning a black tie gala for 200 guests from across the country—a heartfelt tribute to a cherished spouse and father, a dear friend and esteemed colleague, a proud alumnus and generous philanthropist—all without the guest of honor finding out.
Yet, on the evening of October 25, 2024, there was no mistaking the utter astonishment on Gregg Rosen’s face when he rounded a corner at the AC Marriott Hotel to a loud cheer of “Surprise!” He stopped in his tracks with arms outstretched. His little granddaughters burst from the crowd and ran into his arms. “You had no idea?” one of them asked. “I had no idea!” he answered, beaming as people encircled him with hugs and handshakes.
The event—Rise Up for Rosen—was organized over the span of more than a year by a volunteer committee led by Worcester State Foundation Board member Ed Sherr and his wife, Resa, and the Worcester State University Advancement team. A combination of celebration and university fundraiser, the evening was a smashing success, with an outpouring of gratitude and recognition for Rosen by his friends, family, and colleagues and an outpouring of support for a cause that is near and dear to him. The event raised $300,000, which includes a matching $150,000 gift from the Rosens, for the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund. The fund is a one-of-a-kind initiative established by Gregg ’86 and Pam ’87 Rosen at Worcester State after Gregg was diagnosed with cancer.
Gregg Rosen ’86, pictured with his wife, Pam Rosen ’87
“We have to give kudos to all those folks who kept this event a secret from Gregg. That is amazing,” said Worcester State President Barry Maloney in his remarks. “One of the best things about serving as president of Worcester State is getting to know alums like Gregg Rosen. He grew up, in his own words, ‘a middle-class kid,’ someone who duct taped his baseball bat together when it cracked. For Gregg, Worcester State University was his obvious college choice for its location and affordability. He worked while attending school. He tells of the strong support he received from our incredible and caring faculty. Gregg is a quintessential Lancer. Gregg and his wife, Pam, who is also a proud Worcester State alum, have given back generously their time and treasures to their alma mater.”
The Rosens established the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund in 2022 to support a variety of initiatives centered on health, wellness, and cancer awareness, including the annual Worcester State Wellness Fair and Pink Out Games in Athletics. It provides summer research grants for faculty and students and direct support to Worcester State students who are impacted by cancer.
The contributions raised at Rise Up for Rosen will expand direct support to students impacted by cancer and will underwrite educational programs for clinical students exploring careers that will ultimately treat cancer patients. For example, thanks to the Rosen Fund, the Speech-Language-Hearing Department was recently able to purchase tracheostomy models. The models will be used to train speech therapy students to work with patients with head and neck cancer who may require a tracheostomy as part of their recovery process. This procedure involves surgically placing a tube in the trachea to provide an airway when the patient is unable to breathe through the mouth or nose.
FROM LEFT: Gregg and Pam Rosen with their friends Resa and Ed Sherr, who helped plan the event. Ed is a member of the Worcester State Foundation Board.
“Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an integral role in the care team for these patients,” said Andrea Quinn, director of clinical education at the Speech-Language-Hearing Center. “As traditional methods of communication are often lost, SLPs focus on helping restore communication through both verbal and non-verbal means. One effective tool in this process is a speaking valve, which attaches to the tracheostomy tube. By using these models, students will gain hands-on experience, learning how to properly manipulate speaking valves and how to help restore communication between patients and their loved ones.”
Providing such valuable resources for students and patients with cancer is exactly why the Rosens established the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund. At the end of the gala, Rosen took the microphone to share his personal journey with cancer and how it inspired him to establish the fund.
At home, he keeps a drawer full of hospital bracelets—each one a reminder of a visit, a treatment, a moment of uncertainty. “There’s a lot of bracelets,” he said. “Someday, I’ll put them in a jar, and when I’m talking to people about my story and journey with cancer, they will understand better that this may have been a long road, but the outcome is well worth it. It’s scary to see how many times I’ve been there. But thanks to great doctors and treatment, I have a future ahead of me.”
Gregg and Pam wanted to do something with their three children, Kaitlyn, Zachary, and Melanie, that would bring some brightness to the difficulty they faced. That something became the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund. “We can make a difference in other people’s lives. And I thought to do it
Gregg Rosen speaks at the event, held at the AC Marriott Hotel. All 200 guests managed to keep the celebration a surprise.
at Worcester State because this is where I became an adult. I learned lessons and learned what I wanted to do in life, which was to meet people and talk to people and make friends, and I met my beautiful wife.”
He called on his friends and family to be part of the vision of the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund. “I want this to be a legacy. I want it to be a legacy that lives on to help others and something that we can be proud of at Worcester State,” he said. “I need your help. We need each other. It’s not about me. It’s about the next person. We can help save someone’s life or make a difference in their life or comfort them as my family has done for me.”
