Alan Karen of SATCO to Receive Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Award at Goombay Bash

The lighting industry and friends will gather together on Saturday, July 26 at the AON Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier in Chicago for the annual caribbean-themed Goombay Bash, united in their goal of raising funds to further cancer research in the hopes of finding a cure for this pervasive disease.

The recipient of the 2025 Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Award is long-time Goombay Bash and The H Foundation supporter Alan Karen of SATCO. “Alan’s strength, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the fight against cancer embody the true spirit of this award. His journey has inspired us all — and now, his light leads the way,” read a statement by The H Foundation, the nonprofit organization that hosts the event.

The 2025 Celebrity Guest of Honor this year is actor, producer, and director Rob Lowe.

Last year’s Guiding Light Award recipient, SATCO president Bill Gildin, raised a total of $122,524 in honor of his late wife, Melissa, who passed away from a rare form of cancer. To support basic science cancer research at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University through The H Foundation, the Gildin family and SATCO matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000 to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

The 2024 Goombay Bash was the highest fundraising night ever in its 20+ year history, raising more than $1,116,000 through a variety of luxury packages and prizes in its auctions. The funds raised by The H Foundation and the Goombay Bash are used as seed money for basic science cancer research projects to help them compete for additional government or private funding.

There is still time to purchase tickets to the 2025 Goombay Bash.