Since its inception in 2010, Broadway Belts for PFF! has grown to become the largest single fundraising event for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), raising nearly $3 million to date. The event features Broadway stars performing some of their favorite songs and original pieces to raise funds to fight pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

 

Broadway Belts for PFF! began as a tribute to beloved Associated Press theater critic, Michael Kuchwara, after he passed away from pulmonary fibrosis. Tony Award-winning actress and comedienne, Julie Halston, was a founding partner of the event and shines as the evening's dynamic and witty hostess. Halston is a member of the PFF Board of Directors and one of the PFF's leading advocates nationwide. Ms. Halston's motivation for her work on Broadway Belts for PFF! is very personal as her husband, New York newscaster Ralph Howard, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and received a life-extending lung transplant. Howard, a generous volunteer to both the PFF and many other organizations and lover of all things New York, succumbed to complications from the disease in August 2018. In 2018, the inaugural Ralph Howard Legacy Award was presented in Howard's memory, and now annually recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the pulmonary fibrosis community.