Breakthrough T1D Los Angeles Gala 2026

From small-town Mississippi to global pop icon, Lance Bass has spent more than 25 years entertaining audiences around the world—singing, producing, hosting, creating, and occasionally scaring people for fun (#LanceScares).

As one-fifth of *NSYNC, he helped define a generation of pop music, with the group becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, earning multiple major awards and releasing one of the fastest-selling albums in history. In 2023, the group reunited for “Better Place,” the lead single from DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together soundtrack, which debuted at No. 1 on iTunes.

Beyond music, Lance has built a career as a producer, actor, television host, entrepreneur, and even cosmonaut (yes, really). His work spans television, film, digital media, and live entertainment, with a passion for creating projects that entertain while making a meaningful impact.

In 2021, Lance and his husband, Michael Turchin, welcomed twins Violet and Alexander, inspiring his debut children’s book, Trick or Treat on Scary Street, which made him a New York Times bestselling author. His second children’s book, The Legend of Mrs. Claws, arrives on September 29, continuing his love of storytelling for the next generation.

A passionate LGBTQ+ advocate, philanthropist, and type 1 diabetes awareness advocate, Lance also serves on the board of the Environmental Media Association, using his platform to champion causes that matter to him.

Whether he’s creating new content, writing bestselling books, advocating for important causes, or raising twins, Lance continues to reinvent himself while staying true to who he is.

We are the Adamick Family and are so honored to be the Breakthrough T1D 2026 Fund A Cure Family.
Life as we knew it changed on March 18, 2023, when our daughter Charlotte, age 3 at the time, received a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. A few months later, just as we were getting our bearings managing her condition (diluting insulin in our kitchen, giving multiple daily insulin injections, and struggling to get her doses right) and welcoming the birth of our younger daughter Hazel, Charlotte also received a celiac disease diagnosis. 2023 delivered an overwhelming amount of change and uncertainty that felt to us like something that few other people could understand.
Looking for support, we found Breakthrough T1D. Breakthrough T1D offered an invaluable source of community to our family, helping us gain a revitalized sense of hope around the future of Charlotte’s condition. For the last 3 ½ years we, along with Charlotte’s grandparents Bonnie and John, have been grateful supporters of its mission: we have attended the local galas and research events, Charlotte’s Aunt Emily completed the 2024 New York City Marathon as part of the Breakthrough T1D team, and this year, Charlotte became a Youth Ambassador.
Despite all she endures on a daily basis, Charlotte impresses everyone she meets with her positivity, joyfulness, and enthusiasm for life. Charlotte is a lively first grader with a voracious curiosity and passion for learning—she is an avid reader, soccer and basketball player, swimmer, singer, dancer, and artist. Her days are full of fun, variety, and accomplishment and she handles the challenges and unpredictability of living with T1D with a grace and good humor that is difficult to imagine. Everyone lucky enough to know Charlotte (extended family, friends, coaches, teachers, and mentors) couldn’t be prouder of the person she has become.
Thanks to the research and advancements that Breakthrough T1D has helped to provide over the years, we have traded daily injections for an insulin pump, hourly finger pricks for a continuous glucose monitor, and most importantly, despair for hope—to one day find a cure in Charlotte’s lifetime.

Cary Walker and Laura Mecoy are the parents of two adult children living with type 1 diabetes. They have been strong supporters of Breakthrough T1D ever since their first child was diagnosed in 2000 – raising and donating nearly $500,000, leading Walk teams and participating in the Ride to Cure Diabetes and Galas. Both have served on the Chapter Board; Cary is the incoming board president. Laura has served as the L.A. Advocacy Team Chair, chaired four Walks and chaired and served on several Breakthrough T1D committees. Cary was a Senior VP at City National Bank, now retired, and Laura is the founder of Mecoy Communications.