News

Denim & Diamonds Gala: Ticket, sponsorship, auction item & 'Faces of Hope' information

Published Date:

August 9, 2023

Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities

Tickets and sponsorships are available for this year's Denim & Diamonds benefiting Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU Medicine on Saturday, October 14 at the Crowne Plaza.

All funds donated to Denim & Diamonds stay in our region. Denim & Diamonds Gala provides the seed funds for local cancer research, patient programs that further address the growing needs of Simmons Cancer Institute’s patient population. Patient programs offer a variety of complementary therapies, such as yoga and fitness classes designed to make patients’ lives better.

Auction Donations

Have an auction item you'd like to donate? Do you have a vacation home, experience (dinner, cooking lessons, trips, sport tickets, etc) or art that you'd like to donate? Auction donations are needed for this year's Denim & Diamonds gala. To donate an auction item, contact Autumn DeVos via adevos57@siumed.edu by Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Faces of Hope

Each October, Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU, features a presentation called "Faces of Hope" at the Annual Denim & Diamonds event, the institute's primary fundraising event. Photos of approximately 30 cancer survivors flash across the screen to music to raise funds for cancer research, patient programs, and the growing needs of our patient population. We celebrate every survivor regardless of where treatment was received.

If you are a cancer survivor who has NOT participated in Faces of Hope previously or know a survivor who would be willing to submit a photo for Faces of Hope, please send them this information. To participate, survivors must sign a consent form. Questions or requests for a consent form regarding Faces of Hope may be directed to Jessica Ryg.

We ask that photos and signed consent form be submitted to jryg87@siumed.edu by Friday, September 29, 2023. Photos do not have to be a certain size. If the photo includes other people in addition to the survivor, please specify the survivor in the photo (via shirt color, hair style, etc.).

SIU Medicine launches national search for next dean, provost and CEO

December 12, 2025

Southern Illinois University Medicine has launched a national search for its next dean, provost and CEO. The search will be conducted in partnership with Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm specializing in academic medicine and higher education leadership.

Ginger Meyer honored for leadership in trauma recovery

December 11, 2025

Ginger Meyer has spent more than twenty years helping children and families in southern Illinois heal from trauma, and her steady leadership recently earned national recognition from the Academy on Violence and Abuse. As clinical director of SIU School of Medicine’s Children’s Medical and Mental Health Resource Network, she has expanded access to trauma-informed care across rural communities, supported partners who serve children affected by abuse and violence, and trained hundreds of graduate students in evidence-based treatment. Her service with AVA strengthened national efforts to integrate trauma-informed practices into health care, and colleagues praise her ability to unite teams, guide change and keep families at the center of the work. Through her leadership, more children across central and southern Illinois can find safety, support and hope close to home.

AFSCME, SIU School of Medicine ink 3-year agreement

December 4, 2025

SIU School of Medicine and AFSCME Local 370 have finalized and ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The union represents more than 800 school employees across its campuses.