Peggy Lillis Foundation to Host 17th Annual Changing the Odds Gala in Support of C. Difficile Advocacy and Awareness
BROOKLYN, NY (September 2, 2026) – The Peggy Lillis Foundation (PLF), the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of and combating Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), will host its 17th Annual Changing the Odds Gala on Friday, September 18, 2026, at 26 Bridge in Brooklyn, NY. The Foundation’s signature fundraising event will unite patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and industry leaders for an evening dedicated to advancing education, advocacy, and policy efforts that improve outcomes for those affected by C. diff—a serious bacterial infection that sickens nearly half a million Americans and contributes to nearly 30,000 deaths each year.
“The fragmentation of our healthcare system is a key factor in C. diff infection proliferating. Patients seeing doctors at multiple systems; the disconnect between in-patient and outpatient care; the underinvestment in infection prevention; and the lack of input from patients in everything from drug to guideline development allows C. diff infections to proliferate,” said Christian John Lillis, Co-Founder and CEO of the Peggy Lillis Foundation. “That’s why I’m so pleased that this year we’re honoring people who represent the whole fight against C. diff. Dr. Alexander Khoruts of the University of Minnesota, a physician-scientist; Peter Westerhaus of Achieving Cures Together, a philanthropist; Bobby Warren, director of the DiRTE Lab at Duke, an environmental hygiene researcher; and Carol Raye, a patient who survived recurrent C. diff and has become a national leader in providing peer support. Along with PLF, our honorees touch every aspect of the fight against C. diff.”
Guests will enjoy a cocktail reception, a full dinner, casino games, raffles, and dancing while celebrating the individuals whose leadership, innovation, and support are advancing the fight against C. diff, with the presentation of the Foundation’s annual awards.
Recurrent C. diff survivor and longtime Peggy Lillis Foundation advocate Carol Raye is being honored with this year’s Advocate Award. After developing a severe C. diff infection in 2011, Carol endured months of illness, isolation, and failed treatments before receiving a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Through her recovery, she has become one of the Foundation’s most dedicated volunteers, serving as Chair of the Peer Support Network and helping countless patients navigate their own C. diff journeys through education, lobbying efforts, mentorship, and advocacy.
“In the middle of the pandemic shutdown, I found the 2020 Peggy Lillis Foundation’s virtual Summit and immediately volunteered. I have become lifetime friends with other PLF advocates and some of the patients that I have mentored,” said Carol Raye. “Attending the annual Summit and Lobby Day has become a joyful annual family reunion! I am deeply honored to be this year’s advocacy award recipient.”
The Leadership Award will be presented to Alexander Khoruts, MD, and Pete J. Westerhaus in recognition of their accomplishments in advancing microbiome science and improving outcomes for patients affected by C. diff. Dr. Khoruts is a nationally recognized gastroenterologist, microbiome researcher, and pioneer in microbiota therapeutics. As Professor of Medicine and Director of the Microbiota Therapeutics Program at the University of Minnesota, he has led groundbreaking research that helped establish fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a transformative treatment for recurrent C. diff.
“I am immensely honored to be recognized by the Peggy Lillis Foundation. The award is especially meaningful because this Foundation was established in memory of a patient who died of fulminant C. difficile infection, the most lethal form of this disease and a condition that I am especially focusing my clinical and research efforts at this time,” said Dr. Khoruts.
Peter Westerhaus is the founder of Achieving Cures Together (ACT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating medical research and advancing treatments in the field of the human microbiome. Through ACT, he has championed collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders to help bring innovative microbiome therapies to patients in need.
“Having personally suffered through multiple C. diff infections, I know firsthand the devastating impact this horrific superbug can have on patients and their families. The Peggy Lillis Foundation has been a powerful voice in raising awareness and advocating for those affected by C. diff, and I’m deeply honored to be recognized by such an outstanding organization,” said Peter Westerhaus.
Bobby Warren, MPS, will receive this year’s Innovator Award. Warren is a researcher in antimicrobial stewardship, healthcare epidemiology, and infection prevention at Duke University, where he serves as Lab Director of the Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention’s Disinfection, Resistance and Transmission Epidemiology (DiRTE) Lab. Through his research on environmental contamination, disinfection strategies, and the prevention of healthcare-associated infections, including C. diff, Warren is advancing innovative approaches to improve patient safety and reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
“Receiving the Peggy Lillis Foundation’s Innovator Award is a tremendous honor. I’ve always believed that some of the biggest opportunities to prevent healthcare-associated infections come from better understanding how pathogens move through and persist in the healthcare environment—and then figuring out what we can actually do about it,” said Warren. “What makes this recognition especially meaningful is PLF’s commitment to turning science and advocacy into action that improves patient safety. I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized by an organization that shares that same drive to challenge how we think about infection prevention and find better ways to protect patients.”
For tickets and more information about this year’s gala, visit https://cdiff.org/event/
