We are blessed to be able to attend one of Milwaukee’s marquis social events this coming Saturday, the Evening of Hope at the Grand Hyatt.
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| Courtesy of ALS-WI Chapter |
This is a highly prestigious gala where everything is spectacular, from the venue to the food, the cocktails and dinner to the silent auction, the decorations to simply stunningly gorgeous dresses. This will be the 9th year in a row I’ve been lucky enough to be on the guest list, and I must confess I was at first far more excited about the social nature of the evening than the cause. I’ve learned a great deal in those 9 years, and my perspective has surely changed.
The Evening of Hope is the primary annual fundraiser of the ALS Association – Wisconsin Chapter. 100% of the proceeds go to ALS research. There is a phenomenal live auction and raffle, but where we make our contribution is in the silent auction. People donate a host of cool things, vacations, dinners, jewelry and the like. It won’t surprise you to know that the thing that gets most of my attention is the wine. There is an array of really great wines to be bid on, and the bidding becomes quite competitive towards the end of the auction. Its something I look forward to with great anticipation.
But the wine is only a means to an end, frivolous compared to the reason behind the evening, an opportunity to contribute to a most worthy cause.
I met Jeff Kaufmann at my first Evening of Hope in 2003. I say met because Jeff couldn’t respond. In fact he could move absolutely nothing but his eyes. Jeff had been one of Milwaukee’s most up and coming attorneys in the 1980’s, an avid runner, sportsman, family man. He began to feel sluggish; running became an incredible effort, as did simply moving… And then came the diagnosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”
This might be the worst thing that could ever happen to a human being. The disease literally leaves the person a prisoner in his or her own body. It attacks the nervous system and slowly and methodically shuts everything down. Except the person knows exactly what’s going on around them, but as ALS progresses, the body becomes less and less able to respond. Jeff existed on a ventilator for a large part of two decades, being only able to communicate through those incredibly sharp eyes. His wife Jan was his link to the world, taking his thoughts and translating them, painstakingly one by one, with agonizing slowness.
Jeff was the founder of the Evening of Hope. He wanted to ensure there was a vehicle in Wisconsin that could generate funds to facilitate research to fight this awful killer. ALS for the most part is fatal within the first few years after diagnosis. Jeff wouldn’t have that. He went on that ventilator so he could stay alive and ensure the event continued so funds could be raised to keep the research going.
Jeff fought and fought and fought and managed to live for more than 20 years after he was diagnosed. Sadly, Jeff passed away just before last year’s event. But his memory, his legacy and his incredible strength will live on. We get to see more of that Saturday night.
Not long ago, Jeff’s wife Jan said: “He just has this determination to keep fighting and to keep funding research. He’ll always say, ‘Ya know, it may not help me, but it will help someone.” And so his work goes on. And there is hope. Since it’s inception in 1993, the Evening of Hope has raised nearly $2 million for ALS research.
I’d ask you, as you evaluate those causes worthy of your contributions in 2011, to consider this one. Go to BeatALS.org for more information and to donate. Research gets closer and closer every day to a cure. Your dollar may be the one that makes the difference.
