General Hospital's Lynn Herring talks about the origins of the Nurses' Ball

It’s been fun watching Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) gearing up for the 2025 Nurses’ Ball on General Hospital. She’s been on the show since 1986, regaling fans with her crazy schemes and shenanigans, and the annual event wouldn’t be the same without her. This year’s Ball carries on the tradition of having great performances and behind-the-scenes drama, as well as several secrets exploding during the event. Herring recently recalled the true origins of the beloved event.

From striptease to meaningful fundraiser

Since 1994, General Hospital’s Nurses’ Ball has been a fundraiser for AIDS and HIV research and support, with Lucy at the helm. Herring recently spoke to Woman’s World and reminisced about the origins of the event. “It started as a striptease that Lucy did for Luke Spencer to make him give money to a cause she really believed in,” she recalled, continuing, “because we were doing the Robin and Stone HIV/AIDS storyline.” (Find out who the shocking guest at this year’s ball might be.)

The actress further explained, “HIV and AIDS [were] our pandemic back then, because we had so many friends and family members suffering. We had no hope and didn’t know what was going on, so it was wonderful to take humor and entertainment and turn it into a variety show to raise money for the cause.” She also explained that part of it was to inform “Middle America” about these afflictions and why a cure was needed for the victims.

Lucy’s now an adult

She went on to state that although AIDS and HIV are no longer a big issue in this country, “It still is globally, and there still needs to be a lot of research.” Thus, within the show, the Ball will continue to raise awareness because it translates to informing the real-world viewers about it. She noted that there were a few times the Ball didn't happen on the show, “But we’ve stuck with this for 31 years. The history is amazing, and I just love hearing stories about how the Ball has impacted viewers.”

She felt that the Ball would continue to astound the viewers as characters they didn’t know could perform in any capacity would participate. She stated, “There’s also a couple [of] storylines that come to meaningful heads,” adding, “I think people will scream at the TV!” That’s certainly true as several secrets, such as the truth about Gio’s (Giovanni Mazza) parentage seems about to be revealed.

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Herring stated that while her character’s antics prompt people to laugh at her, the fact that Lucy has been successful with things like Deception Cosmetics and the Nurses’ Ball makes it okay for her to behave like an adult. “Lucy is still basically a spoiled child, but she has her adult moments, and I’m very proud of her,” she cheerfully quipped.

You can watch new episodes of General Hospital on ABC and Hulu.

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