Release your inner child at the ninth annual Chase After a Cure Gala on Feb. 4, 2017. With the theme of “A Kid at Heart,” this year’s event will appeal to the kid in everyone with youth-inspired food, entertainment and auction packages. 

The annual event raises money for Chase After a Cure’s work funding innovative research and promising clinical trials that have the potential to immediately impact the lives of pediatric cancer patients. Since its founding, Chase After a Cure has awarded more than half a million dollars to pediatric cancer research at the Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital.

Tickets are $125 each and available at http://chaseafteracure.com. The black-tie optional event begins at 7 p.m. at the Charleston Gaillard Center. 

Chase After a Cure will provide a sophisticated selection of hor d'oeuvres and entrees with a kid-inspired twist created by Hamby Catering. Menu items include smoked barbecue chicken and pimento cheese grits, short ribs atop creamy mashed potatoes, a mac ‘n cheese bar and a make-your-own ice cream sundae bar. Beginning at 10 p.m. fill your plate at the artisan flatbread station. 

Returning to the Gala as the featured entertainment is Quiana Parler and Friends. A former “American Idol” contestant, Parler performed with stars like Clay Aiken, Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson and more before returning to her hometown of Charleston. Plus, the party will keep going as Palmetto Mobile Entertainment spins favorite dance music. Guests also will have the chance to bid on silent and live auction items. 

“As our largest annual fundraiser, this event is so critical in supporting the work of pediatric oncologists and researchers,” said Adam White, executive director of Chase After Cure. “We hope everyone will come out and enjoy our kid-inspired Gala while also taking a moment to think about what it would be like to be a child facing a cancer diagnosis. By supporting our work, Gala attendees are helping those children and families get through their darkest times.”