Published on January 17, 2012
Beaux Arts Ball to Raise Funds for National Jewish Health and Veterans
with Lung Disease on March 10 in Denver
National Jewish Health will “Salute the Stars and Stripes” in patriotic
1940s style at the Beaux Arts Ball on March 10. A portion of the money raised
will fund the research and treatment of lung disease and injuries that veterans
may face as they return from overseas deployments.
The black-tie or mess dress gala will take place at Wings
Over the Rockies Air and Space
Museum, which was built on
the former Lowry Air Force Base in 1939, the year World War II began. There, attendees
will celebrate the USO with a 1940s-themed evening while surrounded by historic
aircraft and aerospace technology. The 2012 Beaux Arts Ball will be hosted by Grand
Marshals Colleen and Javier Baz, Sharon and Lanny Martin, and Sheila and Hassan Salem.
National Jewish Health will honor U.S. Senator Daniel K.
Inouye of Hawaii
with the Arthur B. Lorber Award for Distinguished Service. A World War II
combat veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, Sen. Inouye will be recognized for
his dedication to his country and strong support of National Jewish Health for
more than 40 years.
Beaux Arts Ball attendees will also participate in the direct
donation Fund-A-Need program during the event to support a specific area of
need at National Jewish Health. Since 2008, Fund-A-Need has raised more than
$1.6 million for the institution, funding pediatric asthma and food allergies,
autoimmune deficiency in infants, and Kunsberg School
for chronically ill children.
This year’s Fund-A-Need will support a new program at National Jewish Health to investigate the
deployment-related lung disease for returning U.S. military veterans, including
retired Maj. Scott Weakley, who will attend Beaux Arts Ball this year.
Several surveys have suggested that warfighters returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer asthma,
bronchiolitis and other severe respiratory diseases at about twice the rate of
veterans stationed elsewhere. The causes
of their lung diseases remain mysterious, but may be related to exposure to
noxious chemicals and particulate substances in the environment.
After multiple deployments in the Middle East, Weakley was
looking forward to returning to a normal life with his family in Colorado. Lung disease
has made that homecoming dramatically different for him and his family. The
former marathon runner now struggles to go for short walks or play with his
children for more than a few minutes.
“I do believe that there is hope,” Weakley said. “That’s
what keeps me going – this sense of what is going to happen in the future, not
only for me, but most importantly for those who are coming back who don’t have
the opportunities to have great healthcare at National Jewish Health and the
Denver VA (Veterans Affairs).”
National Jewish Health physicians are uniquely qualified to
diagnose and treat these veterans and have established a program specifically
for them.
“Unfortunately we don’t yet have enough information to know
precisely what's causing the increase in respiratory symptoms in people who are
deployed,” said Cecile Rose, MD, MPH. Richard Meehan, MD, FACP, a
rheumatologist and Iraq veteran, and Dr. Rose have established a research program
aimed at discovering exactly what is causing their disease, how to treat it,
and how to prevent it.
To attend the 2012 Beaux Arts Ball or for more information,
contact Laura Gillespie Lhevine at gillespielhevinel@njhealth.org or call
303.728.6546.
National Jewish Health is known worldwide for treatment of patients with
respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders, and for groundbreaking
medical research. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish
Health remains the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to these
disorders. Since 1998, U.S. News &
World Report has ranked National Jewish Health the #1 respiratory hospital
in the nation.
