Nov. 2, 2017 - Coran Capshaw accepts the Spirit of Life Award from Dave Matthews - Santa Monica, California
While presenting Coran Capshaw with City of Hope’s 2017 Spirit of Life award on November 2, 2017, Dave Matthews stated “He’s incredibly generous. Since we first started making money ... one of the most important things that we both shared was giving money away.... It’s an incredible gift to be able to help out your fellow human beings in any way possible.”
Capshaw's campaign for City of Hope raised $4.8 for world-renowned research, education and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Matthews saluted Capshaw, who has worked with Dave Matthews Band for more than two decades. “I trust [Capshaw] absolutely and I trust his intentions completely and he’s one of the very few people I can say that with complete confidence... I feel like every penny that I’ve paid him or made for him, which is quite a pile, he’s earned.”
After accepting the award, Capshaw praised the City of Hope for its ongoing work in saving lives. “In many ways this year -- to me and to many of us -- is the year of the tragedy, the fires up north, the hurricanes, Charlottesville... But as I’m thinking about City of Hope and the good work they do, it’s day in and day out. We have all these needs in the world, we’ve got a really tricky country with all the divisiveness, but day in and day out these people are there doing the good work they do and it’s just so important.”
Last year’s recipient, entertainment attorney Joel Katz, was in London and unable to attend but sent a warm video message: “You’re getting a wonderful honor tonight, Coran,” he said. “The City of Hope is a marvelous organization that treats so many people.... It’s an honor that you will remember for the rest of your life. You deserve it.” City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group has raised more than $113 million for the hospital over 44 years.
