AUGUST 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 5
Gavin DeGraw Surprises Fans With Performance
at NYCBS Cancer Center Grand Opening
Grammy-winning rocker Gavin DeGraw played a surprise show Monday at a ribbon-cu��ng
ceremony marking the grand opening of the New York Cancer and Blood Specialists new facility
in Port Jefferson Sta��on.
DeGraw, who won a Grammy for his duet with Colbie Caillat on the song “We Both Know,”
expressed his excitement for the new building, which makes more accessible to Long Islanders a
wide range of cu��ng edge treatment techniques in oncology, radia��on therapy, clinical trials,
and personalized medicine.
“I’m excited to be here with all of you for the opening of this great building,” DeGraw told the
crowd of fans surprised by the impromptu performance. “I hope to see it do great things and
help so many people.”
With physicians on call for 24 hours a day and services 365 days a year, the new center has
already started trea��ng pa��ents in their fight against cancer as well as running research clinical
trials and offering second opinions to those looking for newer advances in their treatment.
“It’s an unbelievable honor and a privilege every day to be allowed to care for these heroes that
we have and see every day, that come walking into our offices,” said Dr. Jeff Vacirca, CEO and
managing partner of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists. “Without the help of some really
remarkable individuals we couldn’t have done such a remarkable thing and made a project like
Gavin DeGraw performed at the grand opening of the New York Cancer and Blood
Specialists new facility in Port Jeerson Station on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019.
(Long Island Press photo)
this happen. We have made a facility with great exposure to our community, with the availability of imaging, of pharmacy, of chemotherapy, of
research right around the corner from all of our pa��ents, where they can walk 20 feet and see their doctors.”
The opening was joined by mul��ple local officials who helped make the building come a reality. Brookhaven Councilmen Neil Foley and Kevin LaValle
along with Councilwomen Jane Bonner and Valerie Cartright joined Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine as he cut the ribbon officially opening
the building to the public.
“This center is saving lives of our friends, our neighbors, and our family,” said Romaine. “So many people will use this facility in the next few years
and they will walk out hopefully in remission, cured, and living a much healthier life than they were when they walked in. This is a center that is so
important.
“So many people, some of our close friends, owe their life to this ins��tu��on,” he con��nued. “There are so many people who need healing. They can
come here and get back on the road to recovery.”
L. to R.: Valerie Cartright, Ja Jane Bonner, Ed Romaine, and Kevin LaValle. (Long Island Press photo)
2019
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
