Gilda’s Club Worldwide

Gilda’s Club is named in honor of comedian Gilda Radner—one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live and creator of loveable characters like Roseanne Rosannadanna and Emily Litella. Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer in 1989. During her treatment, she had visited a cancer support community in Los Angeles, and discovered that she was not alone. She found people who shared her same fears—fears that no one else could understand. After meeting other people with cancer, Gilda—with her characteristic wit—joked, “I joined an elite club that I’d rather not belong to.” One of her last wishes was that one day there would be support communities everywhere for people living with cancer.

Three years after her death, Joanna Bull, Gilda’s cancer psychotherapist, along with Gilda’s husband Gene Wilder and Joel Siegel, opened the first Gilda’s Club in New York City. This clubhouse became a model for the second Gilda’s Club affiliate in South Florida, as well as the now more than 30 affiliates in North America.

Gilda’s Club South Florida

In 1994, Christina Perez, age 29 and former Director of the South Broward unit of the American Cancer Society, passed away from breast cancer. A week after her death, her fiancé, Richard Egitto and 30 of her friends came up with the idea of creating a “cancer support community” as a means of carrying on Christina’s spirit. Around the same time, Drs. Nick and Wendy Masi, shared the same vision in memory of their 14-year-old daughter Jennifer, who had recently passed away from a rare form of cancer. Through the efforts of these dedicated community volunteers, the club in South Florida opened in 1994 in memory of Christina Perez and Jennifer Masi, two young women who faced cancer with courage, humor, love, and grace.

In 1997, GCSF moved into its first “home” in office space donated by Memorial Healthcare Services. In 1999, GCSF moved to its current home—a warm, welcoming, historic house in downtown Ft. Lauderdale on the Tarpon River. GCSF membership is currently more than 3,000 adults and 500 children. The club offers more than 60 support groups, workshops, lectures, and social activities monthly.