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On Monday, April 27, 2015, National
Meningitis Association held its annual Give
Kids a Shot Gala at
The Pierre, 2 East 61 st Street
at Fifth Avenue, New York, 10065.. Cocktails & Silent
Auction began at 6:30 PM followed by dinner & the NMA
Awards. Master of Ceremonies is Paul
A. Offit, M.D., Chief of Infectious Diseases,
Director of the Vaccine Education Center, Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia.
2015 Honorees were: Health Achievement
Award to Carol
J. Baker, M.D., Professor
of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Executive Director, Center for
Vaccine Awareness and Research, Texas Children’s
Hospital: T.E.A.M. Outstanding Service Award to Samantha
Bennett, Artist,
Mother, Advocate, Survivor and the Nancy Ford Springer
Award to Kevin
Carroll, MC, CP, FAAOP, Vice President of
Prosthetics, Hanger Clinic.
Honorary Chairs are Ambassador
John. L. Loeb, Jr and Mrs.
Sharon Handler Loeb, Liv Ullman and Donald
Saunders and Para-Olympic Gold Medalist Nick
Springer; Vice Chairs are Barry
J. Klarberg and Heike
M. Vogel, Esq. Chairs are Lenore
Cooney, Cooney/Waters Group, Sara
Herbert-Galloway and Gary
Springer, Springer
Associates PR. Auction Chairs are Matt
Klarberg, Monarch Wealth & Business Management and
Errol Rappaport.
Honorary Committee included Michael
Badalucco, Susan & Hon. James A. Baker III, Lynn
Grossman & Bob Balaban, Deion
Branch, Steve Buscemi, Victor Calis, Commissioner
Disabilities, Mayor’s
Office, City of New York,
U.S, Senator Susan Collins, Judy & Rod Gilbert, Adam
Graves, Amy Madigan & Ed Harris, State Senator Jack
Hart,(ret.) Lainie Kazan, Felicity Huffman William H.
Macy, Congressman Michael M. Michaud, James Naughton,
Heather Randall, Susan Sarandon and Richard
Thomas.
Benefit Committee included: Jeri
Acosta, Lynn & Alan Bozof, Lori & Curt Buher, Elizabeth
Cier, Rita Cosby, Nicole & Jeff Fratarcangeli, Jeri
Brooks, Greenwell, Jonathan Hadaya, Laurie & Ken Hartwig,
Charlotte & Harvey Hodges, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Susan
James, Marcie L. Kammel, Allison & Matt Klarberg, Nikki
Klarberg, Ryan Klarberg, Donna & Michael La Forgia,,
Marian Koltai-Levine & Daniel Levine, Lucy J. Lang,
Leslie Maier, Sherri Michelstein, Jennifer Mocbeichel,
Jan & Michael Planit, Susan & Peter Purdy, Heather
Randall, Cassandra Seidenfeld, Lorraine Cancro Silvetz,
Joe Sirola, Joe Trentacosta and Patti & John Wukovits
III,
Medical Committee included: Richard
Besser, Chief Health & and Medical Editor, ABC
News; Paul
Offit M.D., Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia; William
Schaffner, M.D., Department Preventive Medicine,
Vanderbilt University Nancy
Snyderman, M.D. ; James
C. Turner, M.D., National
Social Norms Institute, University of Virginia and Dr.
Roger W. Yurt, NY
Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Obie Award winning actor singer Darius
de Haas who
has been seen in such films as Anastasia, Chicago and Larry
Flynt: The Right to Be Left Alone performed.
This signature fundraising event will help NMA continue
and expand its vital work in the fight against
meningitis.
During the 1990’s, there was a
significant increase in the number of adolescents and
young adults killed or disabled by meningococcal
meningitis; young people who were seemingly healthy,
vibrant and often athletic. Most
of the families were unaware of a vaccine that could
have saved their children’s lives or anguish. The
National Meningitis Association (NMA), a non-profit
organization, was formed in 2002 by parents whose
children were killed or disabled by meningitis. Since
then, NMA has created educational programs that reach
millions of people each year with information about
available immunizations and disease symptoms and
thoughtful, comprehensive support programs for families
devastated by the ravages of the disease.
For more information about NMA’s
life-saving work please visit www.nmaus.org |