Actor David Hyde Pierce Hosts the Alzheimer's Association's 16th Annual Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala May 10th at the Civic Opera House

Alzheimer's Association
Monday, 5 May 2003

The Alzheimer's Association's 16th Annual Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala is set for 6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 10th at the Civic Opera House. Since its inception in 1987, the Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala has raised more than $10 million to support Alzheimer research.

The gala's theme, "The Loves of Carmen," is taken from the 1948 movie starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. Bankers Life and Casualty Company is the event's premier corporate sponsor.

Actor and Alzheimer's Association National Board Member David Hyde Pierce, best known for the role of Niles Crane on NBC's hit sitcom Frasier and who is featured in the upcoming motion picture Down With Love, will host the evening's festivities. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck will oversee all culinary aspects of the event.

Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn is honorary chair of the gala, which is an annual tribute to her mother, Hollywood legend Rita Hayworth, who died with Alzheimer's disease. Burr Ridge residents Reginald and Gail Garratt are co-chairs.

Renowned researcher Steven T. DeKosky, M.D., director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and professor and chair of the department of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh is this year's medical honoree. Linda Mendelson of Chicago, gala steering committee member and a past gala co-chair, is the civic honoree.

Catering for the evening will be provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events, with dance music from The City Lights Orchestra and floral arrangements by Kehoe Designs.

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 corporate 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