April 20 Jim Himelic Memorial Golf Classic Raises Funds for ALS Research
At UA College of Medicine

DATE/TIME:

FRIDAY, APRIL 20 11 a.m. -- Registration begins 12:30 p.m. -- Shotgun start 5 - 6:30 p.m. -- Cocktails/Silent Auction -- Hopi Ballroom 6:45 - 8 p.m. -- Dinner/Live Auction/Cash Bar - Papago Ballroom. Master of Ceremonies: Elliot Glicksman.

LOCATION:

Omni National Golf Resort & Spa 2727 W. Club Drive, Tucson

FEES:

Golf/dinner: $175 per person/$700 per foursome (payment in excess of $160 per person qualifies as a tax-deductible donation). Format will be four-person scramble (form your own foursome or we will pair you). Limited to 144 players. Dinner only: $50 per person (payment in excess of $35 per person qualifies as a tax-deductible donation) Tee box signs: $300 (fully tax-deductible) Sponsorships available: Gold ($3,000); Silver ($2,000); Bronze ($1,000)

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Contact Ana Himelic (520) 275-8187, AHimelic@hotmail.com, or visit the Web site, http://www.jimhimelicfoundation.org.

Since it began in 2001, Tucson's annual Jim Himelic Memorial Golf Classic has raised $440,000 to benefit amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research at The University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Organizers once again are asking the Southern Arizona community to participate in this fun-filled daylong event to support vital scientific research with the goal of improving our understanding of ALS and developing effective treatments that one day will lead to a cure.

The event -- including golf tournament, dinner and charity auctions -- is named in honor of Jim Himelic, a friend of the Tucson community and much respected juvenile court judge who died from ALS in February 2000. The foundation, which bears his name, was created by his family, friends and colleagues in an effort to fund local ALS medical research.

ALS (also called "Lou Gehrig's disease" after the famous New York Yankee who lost his life to the disorder) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting adults from all walks of life. The disease, which occurs randomly in the population, causes a slow loss of muscle function by affecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord utilized for movement, leading eventually to death. Although significant advances have occurred in the medical community's understanding of the processes underlying the loss of these motor neurons, no effective treatment exists at this time.

"Supporters of this local effort to raise awareness and funding for ALS research continue to have a lasting impact," says Timothy Miller, MD, assistant professor of neurology and pathology at the UA College of Medicine and director of the Jim Himelic Neuromuscular Research Laboratory. "The foundation's work continues to support a variety of laboratory investigations, including work examining the basic control mechanisms of neural stem cells.

Understanding these underlying processes will allow us to more effectively utilize the potential of adult stem cells in human disease. It is our belief that this current work will help shed light on the potential that adult stem cells may have in providing relief to populations of affected neurons in the body. The support of the Himelic Foundation has proved crucial in our research program and we are grateful to all the supporters of this work locally, nationally and internationally. It remains our goal to expand the utility of laboratory bench discoveries into the clinic and provide for our patients."

On May 20, 2004, the stem cell laboratory in the Department of Neurology at the UA College of Medicine officially was named "The Jim Himelic Neuromuscular Research Laboratory." A major focus of the UA Neuromuscular Program regards stem cell biology and understanding the controlling mechanisms. "Investigators from around the globe are working to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this complex disease and, along with patients, continue to push the limits of translational research by participating in trials of novel treatments based in laboratory science. By focusing on the control of adult stem cells, we hope to provide data to fill in part of the puzzle that is essential to stopping ALS," Dr. Miller says.

Your help continues to be needed. According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, every day an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS -- more than 5,000 people per year -- and ALS currently affects as many as 35,000 Americans. Unfortunately, the average life expectancy following diagnosis typically is two to five years. You can make an immediate difference by supporting this local effort to eradicate ALS.

For more information about the Jim Himelic Memorial Golf Classic and ALS research at the UA, visit the website, http://www.jimhimelicfoundation.org.