Plan to attend Penn State Diabetes Center 2005 Gala, an inaugural event to support Penn State Diabetes Center, Sept. 24 at the Wyndham Harrisburg-Hershey.
The black-tie event will include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as well as a silent auction with hundreds of items. Following the silent auction, guests of the gala will enjoy dinner catered by the Wyndham Harrisburg-Hershey, a live auction and entertainment. Tickets are $100.
The keynote speaker will be Darrell G. Kirch, senior vice president for health affairs at Penn State University, dean of the Penn State College of Medicine and chief executive officer of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Kirch joined the University in 2000.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to cardiovascular disease, vision loss, nerve damage, stroke, kidney disease and many other long-term health problems.
The money raised at the gala will support the activities of Penn State Diabetes Center. The center is committed to improving the lives of those with diabetes through world-class patient care, research and education. It is a consistent collaboration of scientists and medical specialists whose continued goal is to increase the scientific and medical knowledge needed to eradicate diabetes and help those with diabetes to live better lives.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that 18.2 million people in the United States have diabetes. The total economic cost of diabetes in 2002 was estimated at $132 billion. In Pennsylvania, 8 percent of people 18 years and older have been told they have diabetes, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Complications caused by diabetes include heart disease, kidney disease and diabetic retinopathy, which is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults ages 20 to 74.
To become a sponsor or to purchase a ticket to attend Gala 2005, call Sandy Miland at (717) 531-7539. For more information about the center, visit http://www.pennstatediabetescenter.com online.