Inspiration Event
May 1, 2008 | 6PM
Metropolitan Club - Sears Tower, Chicago
Inspiration: A Benefit for Women's Lung Health began in 2007 by RHAMC supporter Kathy Skagerberg to celebrate the life and legacy of her mother, Joan, who died of lung cancer. The event honors the lives of women and families affected by lung disease, and seeks to raise awareness about the disproportionate affects of lung disease upon women. The event also honors several individuals who have been influential in improving lung health.
This year RHAMC will host Inspiration on May 1st at the Metropolitan Club (Sears Tower, Chicago). Proceeds from the reception will support the Association's Catch Your Breath® initiative that aims to increase research funding and raise awareness about the disproportionate effects of lung disease among women. More women die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer and more women than men die from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
Tickets to Inspiration are $100. The event features cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, entertainment and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the Catch Your Breath® initiative. Contact Rebecca Weinberg for tickets and more information at (312) 628-0211.
Award Recipients
Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, COPD patient and advocate, wife of veteran journalist Ted Koppel, will receive the Lynn Kotsiantos Lifetime Achievement Award for making a lasting difference in lung health. In support of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign, Mrs. Koppel has sought to raise awareness and understanding of COPD via national television programs and print publications, including Good Morning America, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, The View, Newsweek, and Woman's Day.
CBS 2 Medical Editor Mary Ann Childers will receive the Change the Numbers Champion Award. A veteran Chicago broadcaster, she has covered virtually all major local stories, political campaigns and breaking news of the past two decades. In particular, Childers has exposed viewers to the dangers of particulate pollution from diesel engines and school buses, raising questions about air quality challenges and priorities throughout the metropolitan region.
Illinois State Representative Karen May will receive the Catch Your Breath Legacy Award for making a difference in lung health policy. She is a long time women's lung health advocate and RHAMC supporter. Representative May proposed appropriation of women's lung health education through the Caucus of Women Legislators and is a member of our COPD State Planning group.
Mark Talamonti, M.D. will receive the Inspiration Award. Dr. Talamonti is Professor of Surgery at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Evanston-Northwestern Healthcare. His outstanding contributions as a lung cancer surgeon make a difference in the lives of those affected by lung disease.