Dana Reeve To Host Fundraiser For Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation Of Orange County

5/9/2002

From: Bonnie Steele of Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation 949-492-9381 or bonniemtm@cox.net

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., May 9 -- Dana Reeve, actress, author and wife of Christopher Reeve, is scheduled to host the 15th annual fundraiser for the Orange County chapter of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF). This elegant, black-tie optional dinner, dance and silent auction will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2002 at 6 p.m. at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point, California.

"We are honored to have Dana Reeve join us for our 15th annual Gala," said Barbara Scott, President of CRPF's Orange County Chapter. "Dana is indeed a role model for those of us assisting a loved one with spinal cord injury and an inspiration to those of us striving to raise funds to support the quest for a cure."

Other local luminaries scheduled to attend are Thomas Cesario, M.D., Dean of the University of California at Irvine College of Medicine; Oswald Steward, Ph.D., Director, Reeve-Irvine Research Center; and Joan Irvine Smith, Philanthropist and Founder, Reeve-Irvine Research Center.

"We are so grateful to the members of the Orange County Guild, who for fifteen years, have furthered the mission of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation," said Mitchell R. Stoller, President and CEO of CRPF. "The chapter has demonstrated how a few motivated, dedicated individuals can make an incredible difference in the life of an organization."

Event organizers hope to raise critical funds through tickets sales and auction items, which include gourmet cooking lessons, elegant jewelry, and hotel stays at the Four Seasons Scottsdale, the Surf & Sand Hotel, The Westin, St. Regis Aspen, The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and the Peninsula Beverly Hills. Sponsors of the evening's event include American General Insurance and Balboa Life & Casualty.

The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, a national, nonprofit organization, encourages and supports research to develop effective treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The Foundation also allocates a portion of its resources to grants that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. All proceeds will support CRPF's mission. For more information, please visit www.ChristopherReeve.org.

The swift progress of medical research has created the promise of extraordinary health improvements that may also carry significant ethical concerns. The Orange County Guild of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation realizes that its many donors have a wide spectrum of personal ethical beliefs regarding recent and future developments in medical science. Therefore, the Orange County Guild of CRPF allows donors to designate or restrict how individual contributions to CRPF will be allocated.

For more information, please contact Bonnie Steele at 949-492-9381.