ER's Anthony Edwards to Host Gala Event as Coldwell Banker Southern California and ''Cure Autism'' Unite and Take a Stand in the Autism Battle.Business Editors LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2000 Actress Rene Russo and "ER" star Anthony Edwards This article is about the American actor. For the British academic see A.W.F. Edwards. Anthony Edwards is also a footballer for Macclesfield Town Anthony Charles Planck Edwards[1] (born July 19, 1962) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor and director. have teamed up with realtors from Coldwell Banker Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, to raise money and awareness in the fight against autism autism (ô`tĭzəm), developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills, and reasoning. , a devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. neurological disorder Noun 1. neurological disorder - a disorder of the nervous system nervous disorder, neurological disease disorder, upset - a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning; "the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder"; that affects one in 500 children, Cure Autism Now Cure Autism Now (CAN) describes itself as an organization of parents, clinicians and leading scientists committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in autism through raising money for research projects, education and outreach. announced today. Russo, best known for her roles in the "Lethal Weapon" series, and Edwards, beloved by many for his starring role as Dr. Mark Greene in the hit series "ER," are the co-chairs for a celebrity gala to benefit the Cure Autism Now fight against this ravaging illness. The October 5th Stardust star·dust n. 1. A dreamlike, romantic, or uncritical sense of well-being. 2. A cluster of stars too distant to be seen individually, resembling a dimly luminous cloud of dust. Not in scientific use. 3. and Dreams benefit at the Beverly Hills Hotel The Beverly Hills Hotel is a hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, at 9641 Sunset Boulevard. It was opened on May 12, 1912 and started by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley S. Anderson, who had been managing the Hollywood Hotel. is the grand finale to a three-month fund-raising effort by associates of Coldwell Banker Southern California. From July through September, Coldwell Banker Southern California agents made contributions to Cure Autism Now in the name of homebuyers and sellers they represent. At the end of this campaign, Coldwell Banker Southern California matched 100 percent of each agent's contributions. In addition, several other corporate entities have become "Crystal Sponsors" for the gala event contributing $25,000 each. They include NRT NRT Nicotine Replacement Therapy NRT Norm-Referenced Test NRT near real time NRT Non-Real-Time NRT National Response Team NRT Tokyo, Japan - Narita (Airport Code) NRT Net Registered Tonnage Settlement Services, First American Title, Imperial Bank and American Airlines. Several other Coldwell Banker Southern California offices raised additional amounts in excess of $20,000 through other fund-raising efforts. The entire program should raise in excess of $400,000. "This was a tremendous effort and really showed dedication on the part of the agents to bringing the dream of finding a cure for autism one step closer to reality," said Bob LeFever, President of Coldwell Banker Southern California. "Our involvement with Cure Autism Now gives us a powerful opportunity to make a difference for the many Southland families and children affected by this tragic and mysterious neurological disorder," added LeFever. Since its inception 4 years ago, Cure Autism Now has become the largest private funder for autism research in the country -- granting over $5 million in research monies. Founded by Hollywood producer Jonathan Shestack and his Emmy-winning art director wife, Portia Iversen, parents of an autistic autistic /au·tis·tic/ (aw-tis´tik) characterized by or pertaining to autism. child, the organization has started a collaborative gene bank to help develop creative treatments that will continue to lead to a cure for this mysterious illness. "Our goal is to raise awareness and help provide funding for research that will lead to new techniques and advances in neurology, genetics and molecular biology molecular biology, scientific study of the molecular basis of life processes, including cellular respiration, excretion, and reproduction. The term molecular biology was coined in 1938 by Warren Weaver, then director of the natural sciences program at the Rockefeller to further advance the race for a cure to this tragic developmental disorder developmental disorder Psychiatry An impairment in normal development of language, motor, cognitive and/or motor skills, generally recognized before age 18 which is expected to continue indefinitely and constitutes a substantial impairment Etiology Mental ," stated Shestack. ER star Anthony Edwards, a long-time friend of Jonathan Shestack, has been closely associated with Cure Autism Now for several years. "Every day in California, four new families are sitting around the kitchen table in a state of shock having just gotten the diagnosis of autism for their children. Even the most skeptical scientists are beginning to believe that one of these days autism will yield to science. We will find treatment, prevention, and even a cure. And it is through the efforts and generosity of people like those at Coldwell Banker Southern California who will make this happen -- sooner rather than later," stated Edwards. Autism usually strikes sometime in the first two years of life. It can cause extreme impairment in language, cognition and communication. The disorder affects over 400,000 families and costs the nation more than $13 billion a year. Recent studies indicate that as many as two in every 1,000 children born today will be on the autistic spectrum. In a 1999 California Department of Developmental Services report, the number of persons diagnosed with autism dramatically increased 273 percent. Although autism is more common than Down's syndrome, multiple sclerosis or cystic fibrosis cystic fibrosis (sĭs`tĭk fībrō`sĭs), inherited disorder of the exocrine glands (see gland), affecting children and young people; median survival is 25 years in females and 30 years in males. , autism research receives less than 5 percent of the funding earmarked to fight those diseases. Cure Autism Now is the latest philanthropic effort in an ongoing tradition by Coldwell Banker Southern California to find ways to make life better for Southland families. "Working together, we can do anything -- even help conquer a devastating condition like autism," LeFever added. Jonathan Shestack and Cure Autism Now graciously applaud the efforts of the promotion undertaken by Coldwell Banker Southern California and its agents for the past three months. "It is efforts like this one on behalf of Coldwell Banker Southern California that will help us get closer and closer to a cure. Each night when I go to bed, I hope that I will awake to the news of a cure for autism. I look at my son and see a child trapped by this disability and know we have to keep working together to push for more research. We will succeed," Shestack said. Cure Autism Now is committed to accelerating the pace of scientific progress toward a cure. It is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting and funding autism research. For more information about the Cure Autism Now, please visit their Web site at www.cureautismnow.org. |
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