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Photo of a place setting at the 2026 Filotimo Foundation Gala

Fly Us to the Moon Raises Over $2.5 Million for Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

It has been just a few weeks since Fly Us to the Moon, Filotimo Foundation’s second annual fundraising gala, and the glow has not worn off.

On May 29, 2026, we gathered once again at the Angus Barn Pavilion in Raleigh, North Carolina to celebrate the adults with cystic fibrosis we serve and the community that makes this work possible. Over 300 guests came ready for something special. What they got was a night none of us will forget.

An Evening That Reached New Heights

Photo of Pete Proimos speaking at the 2026 Filotimo Foundation Gala

The room was transformed for a lunar journey, with a walk-in to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” setting the tone from the first step through the door.

Filotimo Foundation founder, Pete Proimos, opened the evening by sharing a piece of his personal story as a person living with cystic fibrosis, and the story of what Filotimo has become. The numbers alone tell part of it: a network of over 100 hospital partners, access to 150+ fertility clinic locations nationally, and more than 1,000 acts of direct service provided to adults with CF. Including, the support of 30+ couples in growing their families.

Those are not statistics. Those are lives.


Photo of Nicole Kohr speaking at the 2026 Filotimo Foundation Gala

The Moments That Moved the Room

The real heartbeat of the evening came from the people Filotimo Foundation exists to serve.

Nicole Kohr, an adult with cystic fibrosis whose adoption journey Filotimo had the privilege of supporting, was set to take the stage herself. Pneumonia kept her home that night. So her husband, Jared, did what partners of people with CF are so often called to do: he stepped in and stepped up. He took the stage in her place and shared her words, her story, and what the foundation’s support has meant to their family. It was one of those moments that quietly said everything about the life people with CF and the people who love them actually live. There was not a dry eye in the room.


Photo of Kendall and Skylar Jones at the 2026 Filotimo Foundation Gala

We were also joined by Skylar Jones and her new husband, Kendall. Skylar shared with grace and honesty what the road ahead looks like for her as she prepares for a double lung transplant, and how Filotimo Foundation will be there with her through it. Their presence was a reminder of why this work cannot wait.

These are the stories that drive us. The system was built around survival, not possibility. Filotimo Foundation exists to change that.


Photo of live auction at the 2026 Filotimo Foundation Gala

A Record Night for CF Support

Through a live auction, paddle raise, sponsorships, and the generosity of our incredible donor community, the 2026 Filotimo Foundation gala raised over $2.5 million to support adults living with cystic fibrosis.

That is more than double what last year’s historic inaugural gala raised. It means more people get the help they need. More families get a chance to grow.

Every dollar raised goes directly to the adults with CF who need it: hardship support for day-to-day stability and family-building grants so people with cystic fibrosis can grow the families they choose.

Job’s not finished. But that is a very good start.


Photo of the 2026 Filotimo Foundation Gala tent

With Gratitude to Our Sponsors

None of this happens without the people who show up, invest, and believe. Thank you to every sponsor who made Fly Us to the Moon possible.

Galaxy Sponsors

  • The Proymos Group

Supernova Sponsors

  • Friends Fighting Cystic Fibrosis
  • Cardinal Capital Management
  • Parcrest
  • VisionQuest
  • Vertex

New Moon Sponsors

  • AP Emissions
  • Atlantic Fertility
  • Alex Jordyn Interiors
  • Fiber Seal
  • Friends of the Spiritius Project
  • Jordan Price Law Offices
  • Northern Trust
  • Robert and Helen Link
  • Shady Grove Fertility
  • Natera
  • SouthState Bank
  • Third Wave Psychotherapy
  • UNC Healthcare

Orion Sponsors

  • Heather Davies
  • Swingform Raleigh

In Kind Sponsors

  • Atlas Production Group
  • Eleanor Scott Davis
  • Heights House
  • Ivy Fertility
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