I am honored that I was able to attend the 2019 Global Lyme Alliance Gala with my husband, Nick, last week in New York City. I feel so much gratitude for Global Lyme Alliance hosting this wonderful event, and for the over 700 attendees who came together in Manhattan on October 10th to support lyme disease awareness. This was GLA’s largest fundraising gala to date—way to go!!
And to be honest, I feel grateful that I was physically well enough to travel and experience this inspiring and memorable evening because as many people know, lyme doesn’t take days off, regardless of what our plans may be.
The Evening’s Events
The venue, located at Cipriani on 42nd Street, was decorated by Lawrence Scott Events, and looked nothing short of magical! The photos can’t even fully capture the elegance. The evening commenced with a cocktail hour (hors d'oeuvres provided by Aureole) and red carpet photos, followed by a delicious dinner menu inspired by Chef Charlie Palmer. The main program featured motivational speeches from the host of the evening, Rosanna Scotto of Good Day New York, GLA leadership, and lyme disease survivors and advocates. Dinner was proceeded by an exciting live auction, which raised over $600,000! The night concluded with entertainment by Big Apple Circus, and a musical performance by TONY-Award Winner Santino Fontana.
Some of the program’s speakers included: Global Lyme Alliance CEO, Scott Santarella; GLA chairman, Robert Kobre; entrepreneur and lyme patient, Bob Kelly; former vice-chairman of Millennium Partners and father of three lyme survivors, David Nolan; and founder of WellBe and patient advocate, Adrienne Nolan-Smith;
The gala program also featured a powerfully produced film which depicted the debilitating and often heartbreaking symptoms of neurological lyme disease on a young mother and her family. This short film really hit home to me and raised crucial awareness to the often overlooked symptoms of late-stage lyme. The film was very well produced, and I felt was a very accurate depiction of what a person battling this progressive disease can go through on a daily basis. It is this kind of awareness that is key to getting more people involved in the fight because they can better understand what life is like for lyme patients and why the research is needed.
Oh, what a night!
The gala was an inspiring evening from the beautiful decor and the memorable speeches, to the amazing food, and remarkable conversation. The room was filled with people who are passionate about finding a cure and delivering hope to lyme patients and their families worldwide.
I was able to connect with other lyme warriors from around the world, and meet some of the hard-working individuals who support GLA. The message was spread that lyme disease has no boundaries, and it can happen anywhere and to anyone; regardless of their age or current health status. It is now estimated that lyme disease could impact up to 2 million individuals by 2020.
This is why it is so important to continue to support organizations like GLA who are leading the way with innovative research to not only discover better treatments, but to help diagnose tick-borne disease earlier, and to even educate the general public on preventative measures.
What does Global Lyme Alliance do?