Meet Gavin Lindberg: Evan's Legacy - Serving Childhood Cancer Patients & Families 12/3

Gavin Lindberg is President and Co-Founder of The Evan's Victory Against Neuroblastoma Foundation. Wharton Club members and guests are invited!

Gavin Lindberg is President and Co-Founder of The Evan's Victory Against Neuroblastoma Foundation. Based in Germantown, MD, the non-profit organization was established in 2011 in memory of Evan Lindberg, the only child of Gavin and his wife, Wendy. Evan passed away in 2010 at the age of 7 after courageously battling stage IV neuroblastoma for 4 years. 

The EVAN Foundation serves childhood cancer patients and families through its research, patient & survivor wellness, and advocacy & education programs. The organization has awarded more than $750,000 in research funding, including a multi-year grant supporting the neuroblastoma tumor vaccine initiative of Dr. Anthony Sandler at Children’s National Hospital (CNH) in Washington, DC. 

The Foundation also sponsors the EVAN Foundation "Treats & Treasures Carts" program at CNH. Every Wednesday, Gavin and Wendy visit each room on the hematology/oncology inpatient floor with two carts full of healthy snacks, toys, games, chocolate, books, stuffed animals, blankets, and other fun items. This simple but highly impactful program gives patients something to look forward to, a welcome break from treatment, and a moment of control and empowerment. All at no cost to them. 

Since starting the Treats & Treasures Carts Program in 2012, the Lindbergs have made more than 15,000 visits to young patients and families enduring long-and-difficult hospital stays. In recent years, the Foundation has expanded the program to 21 additional hospitals that care for children with cancer, including the CNH Hematology/Oncology Infusion Center in Rockville, MD. The Treats & Treasures Carts Program benefits approximately 1,500 patients a week across all sites. 

Gavin is a frequent speaker at domestic and international pediatric oncology research meetings and the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus Summit held each September on Capitol Hill. He has authored three Letters to the Editor on childhood cancer research in the Washington Post and New York Times and has been published in the medical journal Pediatric Blood & Cancer. Gavin currently serves as a Parent Advocate for the National Cancer Institute’s Pediatric Immunotherapy Network, and Pediatric & Adolescent Solid Tumor Steering Committee.

Prior to transitioning full-time to The EVAN Foundation in 2021, Gavin spent 25 years as a
government relations and patient advocacy professional in Washington, DC. He is originally from Michigan and has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Michigan State University. Gavin and his wife Wendy have lived in Germantown for 24 years.

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• Wharton Club of DC Members - you can attend in-person with a free lunch or by Zoom

• President's Club/Lifetime: You and 2 guests may attend
• Other Members: Yourself only