UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation (JCCF) held their 20th Anniversary Taste for a Cure fundraiser to benefit UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center on May 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. The signature event celebrated world-class wine and cuisine from LA’s top Italian chefs while raising over $1 million for cancer research, an all-time high fundraising record for the Taste for a Cure event.

The gala was emceed by New Girl’s Max Greenfield and featured a special musical performance from Empire’s breakout star, Jussie Smollett. Premier wines from prestigious Italian wineries and signature dishes from distinguished chefs were among the evening’s highlights including famed Italian chef Piero Selvaggio, who served as the curating chef. Attendees and supporters included respected business and entertainment leaders, celebrities, as well as wine and food enthusiasts.

Over the past 19 years, the JCCF’s signature event has raised nearly $10 million for highest priority cancer research at UCLA, supporting work on such life-saving therapies such as Herceptin, Kadcyla and Ibrance for breast cancer; Gleevec and Sprycel for leukemia; Tarceva and Cyramza for non-small cell lung cancer; Avastin for colorectal cancer and lung cancer; and Keytruda for melanoma.