By Joanne Davidson, Special to The Denver Post
Colorado may have the dubious distinction of being a state where multiple sclerosis is prevalent, but it also has the legitimate honor of being home to the Rocky Mountain MS Center.
Since its founding in 1978, the center has taken a two-pronged approach to serving the 1 in 550 Coloradans living with this progressive and unpredictable disease of the central nervous system.
The Rocky Mountain MS Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a team of scientists, led by Drs. Tim Vollmer and John Corboy, whose research is helping to unlock the keys that will one day lead to a cure and whose multiple sclerosis fellowship-trained physicians offer direct care.
Chief executive officer Gina Berg oversees a broad array of patient services that include education, counseling and support programs such as the King Adult Day Enrichment Program, where MS patients can take part in therapeutic activities and wellness monitoring.
Significant funding for all of this is generated at an annual gala. Chaired this year by Adrienne Ruston Fitzgibbons and emceed by Channel 2 News personalities Tom Green and Kim Posey, the event raised $330,000.
“How fortunate we are to have such an incredible resource right here in Denver to support our friends, family members and the community affected by multiple sclerosis,” Fitzgibbons said.
Board chair Brett Hanselman, partner in charge of KPMG’s Denver business unit, has been involved with the center for 15 years and took great pride in pointing out that when patients come to the Rocky Mountain MS Center they are cared for by “People who truly care.”
Vollmer, who introduced keynote speaker Kim Ball, agreed. “Nobody treats multiple sclerosis better than we do.”
Ball, a former Denverite now living in Paris with her husband, TJ Wilscam, and their 10-year-old daughter, Sienna, is a graduate of Cherry Creek High School and was recruited to take part in the festivities by her friend Pam Sletten, who coordinated the gala’s silent and live auctions and will chair the event in 2017.
Presented by Denver Life magazine and held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, the gala had a record-setting 550 guests, including Dana Davis, executive director of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation at Denver. Davis has both Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, and with boyfriend Shane Hendryson was a Silver Sponsor of the gala.
Berg shared her table with a group that included board member Louise Richardson and her beau, Lee Bowen; Judi Wolf, and Ray and Denise Bellucci, whose dog, Phoebe, makes regular visits to the King Adult Day Enrichment Program to help spread wags and good cheer.
BJ Dyer and David Alexander were in charge of decor while Five Star Entertainment president Terri Fisher arranged for guitarist Gary Myers to provide background music during cocktail hour and for the Dave Camp Jazz Band to get everyone on their feet for the dancing that followed the braised short rib dinner.
Others enjoying the festivities were sponsorship committee chairs Dana and Troy Jennings; gallery owners Aaron and Sandee LaPedis; Vickie Dow; attorney Craig Fleishman and girlfriend Carol Leo; Lyn and Dr. Michael Schaffer; Jan Hammond; Casey and Carrie Tynan; LaFawn Biddle; Don and Bev Black; Lorraine Salazar; Tom and Cyndy Marsh; Sandee Walling; and Diane and Doug Kathol.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, partiwriter@hotmail.com and @joannedavidson on Twitter
