Friends of Saint Louis University Diamond Gala
It was a “dazzling” evening as the Friends of the Saint Louis University Liver Center and their guests celebrated the 11th annual “Diamonds Gala”, Saturday, November 16, 2013, in the magnificent Khorassan Room at The Chase Park Plaza.
This year’s event – Friends shine like Diamonds – raised more than $300,000 in corporate and donor support for the Saint Louis University Liver Center and the life-saving research and treatment it provides to patients from all over the world.
The gala began with an exclusive Sponsor recognition reception, honoring several corporate supporters and attended by some “Very Special Patients”:
- Gold Sponsors – AbbVie, Inc.; Gilead Pharmaceuticals; Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, LLC; Saint Louis University Hospital; and Special Design Health Care
- Silver Sponsors – Alberici Foundation; Express Scripts, Inc.; Merck; and Salix Pharmaceuticals
- Bronze Sponsors – Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Dowd Bennett, LLP; JCB Management; Mid America Transplant; Renaissance Financial; Trio Health, Inc.; and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
The Invocation, led by Saint Louis University’s Paul Stark, S.J., opened the dinner program, emceed by Julie Tristan, Host of KSDK’s “Show Me St. Louis”.
Once guests had settled in for the three course dinner, the following individuals were bestowed special awards at the 2013 Diamonds Gala event:
Naomi Judd Award – John E. Tavis, Ph.D
Dr. John Tavis is a professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in the department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. He earned his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University in 1990. His laboratory research focuses on Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV).
HBV and HCV remain major causes of liver disease, including liver cancer, and together they result in nearly two million deaths each year worldwide. Dr. Tavis and his research staff are dedicated to finding a cure for the hepatitis B virus that would reduce liver cancer worldwide. He has hope that their findings may lead to drugs which, in combination with existing medications, could suppress the virus far enough to cure patients.
Dr. Tavis has gained several distinguished honors in the field of research and has authored many critical publications about viral hepatitis. He currently has several active research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Tavis has received two Saint Louis University Liver Center seed grants since 2005, and the support of these seed grants led to the awards of four NIH grants in support of his ongoing hepatitis research. Dr. Tavis states that “without the Liver Center seed grant support and Adrian Di Bisceglie’s clinical expertise, I would not have had a chance at receiving these NIH awards”.
Volunteer of the Year Award – Carter Finnell
Carter Finnell owns Marco Polo Outfitters, a custom gun shop located in Chesterfield, Missouri. Finnell and Marco Polo Outfitters have been involved with the Friends organization since the first “Shoot for a Cure” shotgun sporting event took place in the Spring of 2009.
Besides the generous product donations Marco Polo Outfitters provides for this signature event, Carter also lends his shotgun sporting expertise to “Shoot for a Cure”.
Finnell – the driving force on the event’s Planning Committee the last four years – continues to increase his commitment each year. He now recruits sponsors and volunteers, along with enticing individual shooters and corporate teams to participate at this popular fundraiser – which, on account of Carter’s efforts, became a sell-out in 2013.
After the awards presentation and dinner, a moving testimonial ensued, featuring DeeGee and Thomas Kienstra and family, who shared their experience from their daughter Zoe’s recent liver transplant.
The “Diamonds Gala” comprises the annual major fundraiser, sponsored by Friends of the SLU Liver Center, which supports the research efforts of the world-renowned Saint Louis University Liver Center for the treatment and cure of liver diseases and promotes understanding and awareness of liver disease. All money raised by the organization stays in the St. Louis area to perform life-saving research and treat patients in St. Louis.
Since its inception in 2002, The Friends organization has donated more than $2.7 million to the SLU Liver Center. The funds help support the critical infrastructure of the Liver Center from faculty salaries to visiting professorships and patient-oriented seminars and research. By leveraging the donations of the Friends, the Liver Center can use the funds as “seed grants” for investigators to gather preliminary research data that in turn generates larger grants from outside sources. This seed grant process has generated $18 new dollars from outside the region for every $1 raised locally.
