Thank You Evening of Hope Sponsors!

We would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make this year’s Evening of Hope a huge success! Thanks to our generous supporters, our Gala raised $120,000 and that total is still climbing! We would also like to give a special thanks to these donors for their sponsorship of our event.

            • Principal Sponsor
                    • Edward Jones

            • Platinum Sponsor
                    • Maritz

            • Gold Sponsors
                        • Duke Realty Corporation
                        • Sandy and Pris McDonnell
                        • Paulo Products
                        • Frederick Pitzman Fund

A huge thank you to all sponsors, guests and volunteers who helped make this possible!

SAVE THE DATE!!!
Hope Happens
Invites You to See
Kim Massie
at the
5th Annual Evening of Hope
as she performs
"RED HOT ST. LOUIS JAZZ AND BLUES"

Hope Happens is proud to announce that the 5th Annual Evening of Hope will be held at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Thursday, April 30, 2009! The theme for the evening will be "Red Hot St. Louis' Blues and Jazz" starring jazz vocalist Kim Massie and will feature a retrospective concert of St. Louis' contribution to Jazz and Blues, which defined a musical era.

Tickets start at $250 for the evening, which includes a cocktail buffet, a ticket to the concert and a dessert reception following the concert with the artist. Concert only tickets will also be available through Metrotix for $20 each.

Proceeds from the event will support the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The Center supports innovative and groundbreaking new ideas for research with clear potential to improve diagnosis and treatment for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other disorders.

Event Chairs Toby and Carrie Martin are looking forward to the Fifth Annual event. "This will be a very exciting musical experience in an amazing music hall," said Toby Martin, board president of Hope Happens. "The Hope Center is making significant progress in many important areas of research that affects the brain and nervous system. The Evening of Hope supports this research -- which one day will lead to cures that affect the 7,650 people that are diagnosed with a neurological disorder every day, 2.5 times the number diagnosed with cancer."

The Hope Center was created in 2004 as a partnership between Washington University and Hope Happens, a public charity started by Christopher Hobler, who lost his life to ALS in 2005. The Hope Center helps support the studies of more than 70 faculty and 500 scientists with shared research facilities and annual distribution of seed grants.

"With the collaborative research being done at the Hope Center, answers will be found for those who have lost hope," said Jean Hobler, founding member of Hope Happens, which was started by her son Christopher Hobler.

Corporate sponsorship levels for the Evening of Hope are also available. Please contact Elisa Donnelly, Development Officer, at 314-289-5663, for more information.

Danforth Joins Board

Mr. Christopher Danforth agreed to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors of Hope Happens beginning in November 2008. Mr. Danforth is the owner of Kennelwood Pet Resorts, a corporation founded in 1974 by his father, Donald Danforth, Jr., to enhance the lives of pets. “I am thrilled and honored to be a part of a such an important organization and look forward to contributing anyway I can in battling these terrible diseases,” he said.

Danforth Foundation Commits $10 million

The Danforth Foundation announced on 12/4/08 a gift of $10 million to support medical research at the Hope Center. The university and Hope Happens have committed to raising additional matching endowed funds of $10 million over the next five years. The endowment created by the gift will be named for the late Donald Danforth, Jr. For more information, please contact Elisa Donnelly at 314-289-5663.