California Spirit: A Culinary Journey in the Fight to End Cancer
For more than 40 years, California Spirit (Cal Spirit) has brought together Los Angeles’ leading chefs, philanthropists, and community leaders to support the American Cancer Society’s mission to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Founded in 1984 by Wolfgang Puck and Sherry Lansing, this signature event has raised more than $18.5 million to advance cancer research, advocacy, and patient support programs.
California Spirit highlights the critical connection between nutrition and cancer care. Access to healthy, affordable food remains a significant challenge for many individuals and families facing cancer, impacting prevention, treatment, recovery, and survivorship.
Cal Spirit celebrates the power of nutrition, community, and collaboration while raising critical resources to help ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
What began in 1984 as a small, private gathering hosted by Sherry Lansing and chef Wolfgang Puck to raise funds for ACS has grown into an annual event on a studio lot where guests have the rare chance to mingle with top chefs while delighting in imaginative dishes from a curated menu, including drinks from the finest vintners and mixologists.
As the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, discovery, and patient support, the American Cancer Society has made significant contributions to the fight against cancer for more than 110 years. We advocate for lifesaving policy changes, promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent cancer, and provide information, answers, and support to people in every community who have been touched by cancer. We also research cancer and its causes to find more answers and better treatment.
Cancer affects everyone but not equally. Many barriers can impact a person’s ability to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Access to, affordability of, and consumption of nutritious food is a social determinant of health that plays an important role in addressing health disparities. That’s why California Spirit shines a light on the role of food in cancer prevention and the patient’s journey.
For more than 10 decades, the American Cancer Society has been dedicated to pursuing better outcomes for every cancer, every life. Today, more people are surviving cancer than ever before, but there is still work to be done. Join us, support us, and help us end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
towards cancer research
winning scientists received research funding
through all patient support initiatives in 2024
Purchase a flower for the California Spirit Garden of Hope “In Honor Of” or “In Memory Of” a loved one who is fighting, has survived, or you’ve lost to cancer. Be sure to stop by and take photos in front of the display!
(Scroll to the bottom of the tickets to purchase your flower in advance of the event.)
Purchase a Flower
