Burr Ridge Couple Chair Alzheimer's Association's 2003 Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala

Alzheimer's Association
Monday, 10 March 2003

The Alzheimer's Association has named Burr Ridge residents Reginald and Gail Garratt co-chairs of the 16th Annual Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala to be held May 10 at the Civic Opera House.

Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn is honorary chair of the event, which is an annual tribute to her mother, Hollywood legend Rita Hayworth, who died with Alzheimer's disease. The gala's theme, "The Loves of Carmen," is taken from the 1948 movie starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford.

The Garratts are well known for their active roles in charitable causes. Gail Garratt is a member of the Women's Board of the Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo and recently served as board president. She is also a board member of the Chicago chapter of the U.S.O. Ms. Garratt has a long history of civic work in the Chicago area, including service on the Board of DuPage Boy Scouts of America, with the Performing Arts Center at the College of DuPage and the Chicago March of Dimes. As chairman of the DuPage Heart Association and a member of the Heart Association of Chicago's Board of Governor's, Ms. Garratt was presented with the Torch Award for exceptional service to the community by the American Heart Association's Chicago Chapter. In the late 1960's, she founded the Women's Association of the Chicago Jaycees, an organization that engaged young businesswomen in civic and charitable activities.

Reginald Garratt was chairman and CEO of Knowles Electronics Inc., a worldwide manufacturer in the hearing health field, until his retirement in December 2002. Mr. Garratt continues to work in the hearing industry as a board member of Tympany Inc., Houston-based manufacturers of hearing test equipment, and as president of the Better Hearing Institute in Washington, D.C. Previously, he served as director of the Hearing Industry Association.

Catering for the evening will be provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events, with dance music from The City Lights Orchestra. Bankers Life and Casualty Company is the gala's premier corporate sponsor. Tickets for the gala begin at $500 per person. For more information about the gala or to order tickets, call the Alzheimer's Association at (312) 335-5893. All monies raised through the Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala directly support research into the causes, treatment, prevention, and cure of Alzheimer's disease. Since its inception in 1987, the Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala has raised more than $10 million.

The Alzheimer's Association is the premier source of information and support for the 4 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease. Through its national network of chapters, and with the generous support of its sponsors, the association is able to offer a broad range of programs and services for people with the disease, their families and caregivers. The largest private funder of Alzheimer research in the United States, the Association has committed $136 million toward research into the disease. The Rita Hayworth Galas, held annually in Chicago and New York, are the Alzheimer's Association's signature fund-raising events.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org