‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Cast Reunites for Virtual Fundraiser

The cast of the hit sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunited online to honor former co-star Peter Boyle for the International Myeloma Foundation’s (IMF) 14th Annual Comedy Celebration.

The fundraiser benefits the Peter Boyle Research Fund and supports the IMF’s signature Black Swan Research Initiative. This year’s two-hour free event was chaired by Boyle’s wife, Loraine Alterman Boyle, and was hosted by Ray Romano, who starred in the TV series that ran from 1996 to 2005. Boyle played his father on the hit CBS sitcom, and died in 2006 of multiple myeloma, four years after diagnosis.

Slated to join Romano in the Comedy Celebration were “Everybody Loves Raymond” actors Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, and Monica Horan, plus show co-creator and executive producer Phil Rosenthal and special guests, according to a press release. The cast was expected to recreate popular scenes from the sitcom and share stories about Boyle.

The live-streamed event may be viewed on the IMF’s YouTube channel and on the organization’s event website. Since 2007, the annual fundraiser has featured more than 50 prominent comedians and musicians, and raised $8 million to fight myeloma.

Through Nov. 5, supporters may continue to bid on exclusive “Everybody Loves Raymond” cast memorabilia, virtual celebrity meetups, and more. To do so, go here.

Since its 2007 inception, the Peter Boyle Research Fund has supported the IMF’s various research programs.

The Black Swan Research Initiative is a collaborative global project that seeks to develop a cure for myeloma, a cancer that forms from a type of white blood cell called B-cells. Some 32,270 U.S. residents are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year.

The initiative is led by an international consortium of leading myeloma experts, and aims to find prospective pathways to cure myeloma. Among more than 40 projects, its efforts include the ASCENT Phase 2 trial (NCT03289299), which is enrolling high-risk patients who have a precancerous condition known as smoldering multiple myeloma, at several U.S. sites.

The study will treat patients with an aggressive therapy combination — Darzalex (daratumumab), Kyprolis (carfilzomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and dexamethasone — for two years.

The nonprofit International Myeloma Foundation has worked since 1990 to enhance the quality of life of myeloma patients through research, education, support, and advocacy. With a global reach of more than 525,000 members in 140 countries, the IMF is the largest foundation focusing specifically on myeloma.