For Immediate Release
January 3, 2004

Roswell Park Alliance “Returns to Casablanca” for
15th Annual All Star Night Gala

Actress Rue McClanahan to be among honorees

(Buffalo, NY)— A “Return to Casablanca” theme will set the stage for the Roswell Park Alliance Community Advisory Board’s 15th annual All Star Night gala, presented by HSBC. The black-tie fundraising event is scheduled for Saturday, January 22 in the Adam’s Mark Hotel. Over 1,200 guests are expected to attend.

Richard C. Suchan, vice president & manager for the Employee Benefit Practices Group of the M&T Investment Group is chairman, with Maryann Lavin Rodgers, an independent interior designer and artist, serving as as vice chair. Both volunteers are members of the Roswell Park Alliance Community Advisory Board.

The event will include silent and live auctions, casino-style games, and the All Star Night awards, which honor individuals for their contributions to cancer research, cancer awareness and prevention, and volunteerism at Roswell Park.

Auction items will center on the theme “As Time Goes By,” and will feature new and antique timepieces, including a hand-crafted Maltese wall clock, a clock-face coffee table, and a contemporary grandfather clock, among many other items.

Rue McClanahan, Emmy Award-winning actress most famous for her role of Blanche Devereaux on TV’s The Golden Girls, will give the keynote address as winner of this year’s Gilda Radner Courage Award. McClanahan is a breast cancer survivor and advocates for early cancer detection on a national level.

Jacquie Walker and Don Postles of News 4, WIVB-TV, will be co-masters of ceremonies for the gala.

Dinner that evening will feature Moroccan inspired fare including couscous with peas and red peppers, and green salad tossed with dates and apricots.

All funds raised by All Star Night will support cancer research leading to new treatments and lives saved at Roswell Park Cancer Institute — Upstate New York’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.

For tickets or more information, contact Marisa Wegrzyn at 716-845-3517 or see our online ticket reservation form.

The Roswell Park Alliance Community Advisory Board, founded in 1990, is a volunteer membership organization that raises funds year-round to support scientific and clinical research, state-of-the-art medical care, and patient-related activities at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

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