A ballroom at Kalea Bay in Naples is set to transform into a Vegas-style casino floor this Sunday, as Cancer Alliance Network hosts its signature fundraiser, License to Chill, with cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions and casino-style games for guests willing to put down a few hundred dollars for a good cause. The event is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, and organizers say proceeds will directly support the nonprofit's work helping local families cover everyday expenses while facing cancer.
Cancer Alliance Network announced sponsors and a limited number of remaining tickets for the event in a release published by southfloridahospitalnews.com. As of the Oct. 28 announcement, individual tickets were going for $425 and $375, with only a limited number left. The event itself, according to Florida Weekly, will include cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions and full casino-style entertainment, and ticket inquiries can be made by calling 239-366-4236.
What the Money Is Supposed to Do
Cancer Alliance Network CEO Neftali Feliciano framed the night as more than a party, saying the event brings the community together for fun, philanthropy and heartfelt community impact. Proceeds are intended to directly benefit the organization's mission of providing non-medical financial assistance for essential living expenses and support services to local families facing cancer, per the same announcement.
That assistance is meant to cover costs that pile up fast during treatment — rent or mortgage payments, car payments, utilities, gas and groceries, according to Cancer Alliance Network's own About page. The nonprofit describes itself as a Southwest Florida organization supporting local cancer patients on their healing journeys, and says it has assisted more than 400 families annually. Since 2002, the organization notes, its support programs have served thousands of individuals with cancer and their families across Collier and Lee counties, though no year-by-year breakdown is provided.
A Program Currently Closed to New Applicants
Notably, the same nonprofit's support page says it is temporarily not accepting new financial-assistance applications. The organization attributes the pause to extremely high demand for financial assistance during cancer treatment, an existing waiting list of applicants, and limited annual funding, according to Cancer Alliance Network's Find Support page. When it is running, the program is designed to help eligible individuals and families with everyday non-medical living expenses while they are undergoing cancer treatment, the same page states.
That funding gap is part of why outside support matters. A $175,000 grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was intended to fund the organization's CANCares Financial Aid program and its CAN Family Respite Weekend at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point.
Sponsors Lining Up Behind the Event
License to Chill has drawn a broad roster of local sponsors, including First Horizon Bank, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, HBK CPAs, Stock Development, Bua Bell Group, CRS Technology Consultants and Inspire Oncology. Additional sponsors listed by Florida Weekly include Lee Health Cancer Institute, Ross Knoll Vineyard, Woods, Weidenmiller, Michetti, & Rudnick, LLP, Garramone Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, Rick and Nicole Galliford, Gulfshore Life and The Calleja Group at Morgan Stanley.
An image accompanying the original announcement, credited to Liz Gorman, was captioned as showing scenes from the 2025 signature event, suggesting this is not the organization's first run at a casino-themed fundraiser. Whether this year's gathering matches or exceeds that turnout has not been reported.
