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Hi All, I saw this first item in a Florida paper... and looked a little deeper... for two more items... and discovered another foundation joins the competition for Parkinson's research $$$ Tues. July 15 is gone of course... but visit the website... check it out... cheers ..... murray * * * HOUSTON: Parkinson's Black Tie Gala Fund Raiser On Tuesday July 15 Former Marlins catcher Gregg Zaun, now with the Astros, is hosting a black-tie gala to benefit Parkinson's research on Tuesday in Houston. Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox, both afflicted with the disease, are expected to attend. Zaun's mother, Cherie, recently was diagnosed with the illness. Cherie Zaun is 51. ... SOURCE: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, FL http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-base20jul20,0,2416669.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines * * * Zaun's gala Three months ago, catcher Gregg Zaun's mother, Cherie, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. At 51, Cherie is younger than most who are struck with the debilitating illness. Not one to sit idly by, Zaun decided to jump into the fight to find a cure for his mother's disease. On Tuesday, the Gregg Zaun Foundation will host its first fund-raising event benefiting Parkinson's disease research. The black-tie gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown. (Houston) "Right now, the foundation is just raising money for research," Zaun said. "But soon we hope to fund a center and other care facilities for Parkinson's patients." Zaun said he is pleased with the response the event has garnered. "We are expecting over 350 people," he said. "So that's great for our first time out." With individual tickets priced at $175 and tables starting at $2,500, Tuesday's event will feature dinner, which begins at 7 p.m., dancing and a silent auction, which begins at 6 p.m. and includes autographed Muhammad Ali gloves and Astros paraphernalia. Actor Michael J. Fox and Ali, who both suffer from Parkinson's, as well as Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Robin Yount are expected to attend. "We also have some of the guys from the Texans coming out, and of course the Astros," Zaun said. "So it's shaping up to be a good night. All the money will go to the national foundation. Soon, we will start funneling it to local research facilities, like Baylor and Houston. But for the first few events, it will go national." SOURCE: Houston Chronicle, TX http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/1992914 * * * Sports Profile: Astros catcher Gregg Zaun 7/3/2003 5:57 PM By: Randy Sumner Houston Astros catcher Gregg Zaun is raising money to fight Parkinson's disease. Astros catcher Gregg Zaun plays baseball with a passion. His willingness to get down in the dirt for his teammates earned him the nickname "Ratboy". But Gregg's enthusiasm took a major hit recently when he discovered that his mother had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. "It was a big shocker for me. Being an athlete, it's tough to imagine not being able to do what you love. For my mom, she's a professional golfer, so it's been extra tough on her. Fifty-one years old trying to make it out there as a professional, and it's been difficult," said Zaun. "After the initial shock kind of wore off, my sister and I wanted to take a proactive approach to helping out, so we started to do a little bit of research on our own and found out that unlike a lot of the other diseases out there, Parkinson's Disease is one that doctors are very optimistic about finding a cure. And they're optimistic about finding a cure in the very near future -- within the next five to 10 years. There's been some amazing research and some advances in medicine." And the Gregg Zaun Foundation was formed to help raise money to find a cure. Always the fun-loving guy in the Astros clubhouse, Gregg decided that instead of the usual golf event, he would throw a gala night of dinner and dancing to the theme of "The Cotton Club". Several Astros and Texans have committed to be a part of the night at the Hyatt Regency Downtown on July 15, and Zaun's even extended invitations out to Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox -- the two most visible victims of the disease. "It's going to be a fun night. It's a chance for people to get dressed up in a tux and a pretty dress and go out and have a nice night. With the individual ticket prices at $175, I don't think you can beat it -- dinner, a concert and wining and dining, I think that's a great way to spend a night. You know, a lot of people, they go out to dinner and do that anyway. So at least this way the money's going toward something good, something that people can be proud of," said Zaun. If you are interested in being part of the gala on July 15, you can find out more by going to http://www.greggzaunfoundation.org or call Kimber Bruce, 817-416-6453. SOURCE: News 24 Houston, TX http://www.news24houston.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=10222 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn