Harvest Sunset Dinner Benefits Pediatric MS Research at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
November 15 Event Honors Lisa and Robert Lourie
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Robert and Lisa Lourie |
STONY BROOK, N.Y., October 9, 2012 – The Third Annual Harvest Sunset Dinner to raise funds for pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) research conducted through the Lourie Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at Stony Brook Long Island Children’s Hospital will take place at Lombardi’s on the Sound at the Port Jefferson Country Club, on Thursday, November 15, 2012, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
The event celebrates a banner year for the Center. 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the Center, the first of its kind in the nation when established in 2002 to address the unmet medical needs of children with MS. Earlier in the year, Stony Brook University received a $2.5 million gift from Robert and Lisa Lourie to help support the Center and Imaging Services at Stony Brook Medicine. From that gift, $1 million has been designated for the Center, which was subsequently named in honor of the Louries, and matched by the Simons Foundation Challenge Grant, providing a total impact of $2 million.
Historically viewed as an adult-onset disease and difficult to diagnose in children, MS is now understood by scientists to be a pediatric disease as well. MS affects approximately eight-to-ten thousand children in the U.S.
“Research to help us uncover the mysteries of MS is vital if we are to find better diagnostics for children with MS and develop targeted treatments for the long-term management of the disease,” says Lauren Krupp, M.D., Professor of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and Pediatric MS Program Director. “We are pleased that this event helps to both celebrate our advances in MS research and support our ongoing programs.”
Robert and Lisa Lourie will be the Harvest Sunset 2012 honorees, in recognition of their generous gift and support of the Center’s mission to advance research and provide world-class medical care for children and adolescents with MS.
Also recognized at the event are two individuals who will receive the “Woman of Distinction” award. Elayne Feld, of Lindenhurst, N.Y., administrator of the Center, will be recognized for her enthusiasm and energy in helping to manage the operations of the Center. Mary McCarthy, of Eastport, N.Y., will receive the award for her volunteer activities for the Center.
Harvest Sunset tickets are $90 per person. Sponsorships are also available. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call Dominique Stanley at 631-444-1454, or e-mail at dominique.stanley@stonybrookmedicine.edu.
Photo captions:
Robert and Lisa Lourie
Harvest Sunset Dinner logo
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About the Lourie Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
The Lourie Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis, part of Stony Brook Long Island Children’s Hospital, was established to advance the recognition, evaluation, and treatment of children and adolescents with MS through the creation of a multidisciplinary program dedicated to clinical care and scientific research of children and adolescents with MS. The Center includes a team of clinical experts in MS, pediatric neurology, nursing, social work, psychiatry, neuroimaging, and neuropsychology. Collaborating with clinicians are researchers from a variety of fields including neuroscience, neuroimmunology, genetics, physics, and chemistry. The center has been designated a Center of Excellence by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
© Stony Brook University 2012