Oscar buffs raise money for cancer research

Movie fans gathered Wednesday night at the Verizon Center to screen some of this year’s Academy Award-nominated films and raise money for a good cause.

The annual Tracy’s Kids charity event raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit art therapy programs for children with cancer. This year, more than 600 attendees crowded the Regal Cinema for food and drinks and to watch seven Oscar nominees.

{mosads}Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who attended, said he was looking forward to watching “The Imitation Game,” the biopic about Alan Turing, a pioneer in computer science.

Leahy and fellow Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) were the event’s official Red Carpet Hosts.

Attendees were also able to screen “American Sniper,” “Birdman,” “Boyhood,” “Foxcatcher,” “The Theory of Everything” and “Selma.”

Leahy and his wife, Marcelle, have been a part of the Tracy’s Kids event for 10 years.

“Hearing the stories about the kids who have been helped, that just gets to me,” Leahy said.

Marcelle, a cancer survivor herself, serves on the board of the organization and gave a speech during the awards ceremony.

Cincinnati Bengals player Devon Still was rooting for American Sniper” to win Best Picture and said he had recently seen the Clint Eastwood-directed Iraq War film.

He talked about his four-year-old daughter Leah’s battle with cancer.

“I know how big of a part art plays with my daughter, being in the hospital, occupying her time and helping her get through her stay,” he said.

Still and his daughter and Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) were presented with the Courage Award later that night.

Marino is a three-time cancer survivor, and has been battling kidney cancer for more than a decade. He attended the event with his daughter Chloe.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) also attended the event.

“I think the best part of this event is seeing people come together for others,” Collins said. “When you see Washington come together, put aside differences for a night to participate in an event like this, that’s what makes it special.”

Tracy Councill — “Tracy” in Tracy’s Kids — called the chance to join with lawmakers in Washington rewarding.

“What we do every day as art therapists is very much focused on the kids and families. We work all day long, and it’s messy and its not real fancy. It’s down to earth,” she said. “So for me, coming to an event like this and meeting senators and congressmen and really important people in the world is awesome.”

Councill has her own Oscar favorite, telling The Hill she was looking forward to watching Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood.”