The MS Hope Foundation will be renamed the Tom Sherak MS Hope Foundation in honor of its founder who died Tuesday, the organization said Wednesday.
“Tom gave us all hope,” said Annis Kishner, board president of the foundation. “He continues to inspire us, and we pledge in his memory to continue his fight against multiple sclerosis with equal energy and determination.”
The foundation, which was begun in 2012, provides financial assistance to patients for MS-related expenses and funds research seeking better treatments and a cure. Sherak’s daughter has the disease, and he hosted Hollywood fundraisers to combat it.
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“We along with the countless people who suffer from this terrible disease with no known cure have lost a great friend,” Kishner continued. “Tom was our inspiration and, while he might not agree, our leader. He continually rallied us to step up our efforts to fight this incapacitating condition that plagues not only his daughter but millions worldwide. We will miss his infectious spirit of optimism that we can make a difference in the lives of those who suffer daily.”
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Sherak, who served three terms as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, died Tuesday from cancer.