Copyright 2003 Denver Publishing Company
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
July 16, 2003 Wednesday Final Edition
SECTION: LIFESTYLES/SPOTLIGHT; Pg. 18D
LENGTH: 616 words
BYLINE: Dahlia Jean Weinstein, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
More than 150 guests left their cocktail and black-tie attire in their closets, donning casual clothes for the recent Sunset in the Park benefit for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the ALS Association. But the attitude of those working to fund a cure for ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is anything but casual.
Trying to strike out ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease for the famous Yankees baseball player who contracted it when he was 36, is serious business.
ALS is a fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of nerve cells and pathways in the brain and the spinal cord, which leads to progressive paralysis of the muscles.
The third annual Sunset benefit at City Park Pavilion brought in more than $20,000 to support local patient-service programs and national ALS research.
The silent auction kept guests busy bidding on more than 100 items, including a cruise to northern New England and Canada; a Hawaiian bed-and-breakfast vacation; and sports memorabilia from the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rockies, including a baseball package with seats in the Mike Hampton Suite.
Kautia and former Rockies pitcher Mike Hampton, who hosted last year's fete, contribute $1 million annually to Hampton's Pitching-In Foundation, which supports many charities around the country, including the ALS Association.
Guests also bid to provide services for locals diagnosed with ALS for daily tasks such as getting dressed and to pay for medical equipment, personal alert systems, in-home massages and respite care. Chapter board President and national association trustee Dr. Robert Deloian thanked supporters, who paid $62 each to attend this year's event to commemorate the 62 years since Gehrig lost his battle to ALS.
"We cannot wait another 62 years to find the cure for ALS," said Deloian, who was on the event committee with his wife, Barbara.
"We need each of you to become actively involved in the fight against ALS so that no more of our friends and loved ones suffer from this dreadful disease."
A few patrons at the event had lost loved ones to ALS, including Sunset in the Park founder Sue Christiansen, who lost her husband, Al, and Sunset committee member Jody Burtness, whose husband, Bill, passed away last year just before the annual benefit.
Others fighting for a cure included patients such as Ron Sena; Karen Emarine and her husband, Mike; and Brad Grantham, accompanied by Terry Cozad. Also on hand was Melody Tymkin, whose husband, Rich, has ALS.
Backers also included artist Val Kaleda, who designed the event's invitation, Rocky Mountain ALS board member Cindy Van Cise and Rocky Mountain ALS Executive Director Martha Simmons. Simmons sat on the committee with patrons such as Dick Alderson, who attended with LouAnn Baker; Lucy Allen; Nancy Brittain; Betty and Bob Buckland; Deb and Roland Canino; Kay and Bruce Dickson; Martha and Larry Donovan; Ester and Tom Ebner; Marie and Larry Graves; JoAnn and Mark Hamling; Pat and John Kemmen; Dick Klingenstein; Carol and John Koslosky; Art Haag; Jan Pettegrew; Shirley and Bob Pierce; Karen and Al Schmidt; and Marti and Pat Waneka.
It takes $200,000 to manage the progression of an ALS patient. The local chapter offers help through its Durable Medical Equipment Loan Program; the David B. McEachran Augmentative Communication Program, which provides communication devices for patients unable to speak; staff support for patients, family members, caregivers and health-care providers; an ALS Resource Directory; and the Heart and Hand Program, which supports families that have lost someone to ALS.
Call (303) 549-1601 for more about the ALS chapter.