Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 2, 2009
Ghoulish Gala to offer fun treat for a great cause
David Laprad
This October, there will be more treats than tricks going on as the American Lung Association in Southeast Tennessee offers the community a chance to enjoy an evening of great music, fantastic entertainment and an auction of enticing items at the Ghoulish Gala Research Dinner.
It all takes place Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, at the Chattanooga Convention Center beginning at 7 p.m. Cocktails, a silent auction and games will precede a stylish buffet dinner and a live auction. There will be prizes for the best costume.
“We understand there will be some people who won’t want to dress up and others that will go all out,” says Shirley Cudabac, development director of the ALA in Southeast Tennessee. “That’s fine.”
Despite the name of the event, Cudabac says those who attend do not have to wear a “ghoulish” costume.
Among the items the ALA will be auctioning off is a Disney Summerville playground valued at $900. Donated by Playcore, the no-cut kit features climbing rocks, a rope ladder, four heavy duty swings, hangers, a disc swing, a wood roof and more. In addition, SeaDream has donated a Caribbean cruise valued at $13,800, Oriental Weavers has provided a stunning Ariana Rug valued at $999 and Markman’s has contributed some of its fine jewelry.
A four-day stay in Nantucket and time in a condo in Florida are among the many other items the ALA will auction.
“We’ll also have some Halloween games for adults,” Cudabac says. “Will there be bobbing for apples? Maybe, but not just in water.”
The ALA will also be selling goblets of “ghoulish grog,” although the ingredients of the libation are yet to be determined. “We’re going to be taste testing,” she says, grinning.
The popular funk band Here Come the Mummies will provide entertainment. Beginning at 10 p.m., the Nashville-based group will offer two hours of original songs, covered from head to toe in “ghoulish gauze.”
“They have a huge following in Chattanooga,” Cudabac says. “They march out already playing their instruments. It’s a lot of fun. Everybody gets up and dances.”
Kindred Hospital is presenting this year’s Ghoulish Gala. All proceeds will benefit the ALA’s life-saving pulmonary disease research and educational programs.
“The lungs are the doorway to life, providing oxygen and eliminating carbon dioxide,” writes Ghoulish Gala honorary chair Dr. Carlos Baleeiro. “Since they are in constant contact with both the outside air and the body’s internal environment, the lungs are uniquely vulnerable to disease.
“Every year, more than 349,000 Americans die of lung cancer, making it the third most frequent cause of death in this country. An additional 35 million of us are living with chronic lung diseases such as asthma and emphysema.”
In the past 50 years, lung disease research has revolutionized treatment, saving millions of lives, Baleeiro writes. As a result, people from every walk of life are living healthier, more active lives.
In addition, premature babies today are less likely to die of respiratory distress, people can survive once fatal blood clots, tuberculosis no longer runs rampant among Americans, lung transplants are saving the lives of people suffering from once fatal diseases and doctors are treating chronic lung diseases with improved therapies, including
genetically-based medications, home oxygen therapy and ground-breaking, non-invasive therapies.
Locally, as many as three Chattanooga residents die each day from some type of lung-related
illness. Moreover, the ALA estimates that 350,000 people in the Tri-State area suffer from some form of asthma, cardio obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or lung cancer. In addition, the local community has the highest percentage in the nation of school age children using tobacco products.
The cost of attending the Ghoulish Gala is $100 per person. A number of special sponsorship levels are available, however, as is special early registration pricing for individuals.
The “Black Widow” sponsorship level costs $500 and comes with premium seating for two and listing in the evening’s program. The “Magical Mummies” sponsorship level, still available as of the publication of this article, costs $6,000 and includes 16 seats at two premium tables and listing as the exclusive entertainment sponsor of the event. The company that purchases this special package will also get to introduce the band.
Other sponsorship opportunities are available and range from $1,000 to $5,000.
To make a reservation, call the ALA’s Southeast Tennessee office at 423-629-1098 or visit www.alatn.org by Friday, October 9, 2009.
“It’s the perfect evening to enjoy a bit of Halloween-themed fun while supporting the fight against lung disease,” says Cudabac. “It’s an off weekend for the Vols and it takes place during fall break.
“People will have fun, but more than that, they’ll be contributing to a great cause. If you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”
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