Saks Fifth Avenue Gala
to Benefit M. D. Anderson
Gearing up for the Saks Fifth Avenue Gala
and new Galleria store are event chair Nellie Connally (second from right)
and co-chairs Anne Mendelsohn (from left), Susan Bischoff and Barbara Hurwitz.
M. D. Anderson's Nellie B. Connally Breast Cancer Fund will reap the
proceeds from the Saks Fifth Avenue Gala set for Sept. 10 in Houston.
The event celebrates Saks' move to its new home in the The Galleria
as well as M. D. Anderson's progress in the fight against breast cancer.
Former Texas First Lady Connally is chairing the black-tie evening
with co-chairs Susan Bischoff, assistant managing editor of the Houston
Chronicle; Barbara Hurwitz, veteran Houston fund-raiser and associate member
of the M. D. Anderson Board of Visitors; and Anne Mendelsohn, former public
television producer and wife of Dr. Mendelsohn.
Established in 1989, the fund is dedicated to giving all women confronted
with breast cancer a host of life-saving choices and opportunities through
education and research initiatives.
To further recognize Connally for her dedication to the fight against
breast cancer, M. D. Anderson President Dr. John Mendelsohn announced that
M. D. Anderson's new multidisciplinary outpatient breast center also will
bear her name.
The Nellie B. Connally Breast Center, an 18,941-square-foot facility
which is projected to open at M. D. Anderson this October, will employ
the multidisciplinary approach to cancer care that is M. D. Anderson's
hallmark. The new outpatient breast center will give access to mammography,
diagnostic testing and opinions representing several areas of expertise
- all in one convenient location. The single-site approach will further
support research initiatives and suggest new treatment methods. The center
will also offer genetic counseling.
Following the Sept. 10 Saks Fifth Avenue gala, M. D. Anderson will
launch a breast education program. The program will feature a series of
visits in private homes as well as community centers to share the most
up-to-date information about breast cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship.
M. D. Anderson breast cancer experts, staff and patients will lead the
town-hall type meetings to discuss timely breast cancer issues.
The educational program will culminate on Nov. 1 with a half-day program
at M. D. Anderson featuring an array of public presentations on breast
cancer topics.
For more information about attending Saks Fifth Avenue Gala, call 713/792-3450.
For more information about the breast cancer education programs, call 713/792-2553.
Polo and Fun Mark Annual
Fund-raiser
M. D. Anderson President Dr. John Mendelsohn
(left) looks over the chmpionship team's winning loot with wife Anne (center)
and co-chair Melinda Musselman.
Polo time in Eastland was unmistakable as "Polo on the Prairie"
banners fluttered above the two main streets downtown.
For the past 11 years, the annual fund-raising affair has converted
a sliver of the Musselman Brothers Lazy 3 Ranch in Albany, Texas, into
a temporary polo field and party ground for an effort that has raised more
than $1.1 million to fund cancer research and patient programs at M. D.
Anderson.
This year, more than 1,500 supporters joined in the day-long festivities,
which raised nearly $200,000 to support a number of programs, including
the Anderson Network Hospitality Room, the Mobile Nursing Unit, prostate
cancer and gene therapy research, and studies of an anti-scarring agent
for radiation therapy patients.
"Polo on the Prairie is more than just an event to raise money
for M. D. Anderson," points out event co-chair Mary Anne McCloud,
"it also is an opportunity to celebrate the cancer center and the
people who have achieved great things in the advancement of cancer research
and care."
The day-long affair provided something for everyone, with polo play
by day and barbecue and dancing by night. Polo play was exhilarating as
"Brushy Creek" took top honors. And as the evening fell upon
the playing field, people relaxed to the tunes of Jerry Jeff Walker and
danced all night long.