RICHMOND, VA (June 3, 2014) – The 4th Annual Garden Party will be “an evening with Gatsby” and take place at the historic Hotel John Marshall at 101 North 5th Street on Friday, June 6 from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. Guests – dressed in their best 1920’s era attire – will enjoy gourmet hors d’oeuvres and a full dinner, as well as live and silent auctions and entertainment by local band Second Nature. Many exciting items will be auctioned off including vacation homes in Kauai, Hawaii and the Outer Banks, a private wine tasting for 20 and two tickets to the U.S. Tennis Association’s U.S. Open. Tickets may be purchased online by visiting http://www.diabetes.org/gardenparty.
Rhodes B. Ritenour, Community Leadership Board Immediate Past Chair and Deputy Attorney General of Virginia, will receive the 2014 Innovation Award. Ritenour and his wife, Alana Ritenour, an attorney for McCandlish Holton, have worked locally to expand diabetes education through The Diabetes Support Group for Greater Richmond, which they co-founded in 2010. The couple also hosted a six-week public access television series during the summer of 2012, Diabetes Live with Rhodes and Alana, which furthered the scope of the American Diabetes Association’s outreach efforts in the community.
Tonya Mallory, CEO, President & Co-founder of Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. – the Garden Party’s premier sponsor – will share her personal and professional commitment to diabetes prevention and management; and American Diabetes Association Youth Advocates Kallih Breedlove (11) and Eli Hopkins (13) will give hope to others affected by type 1 diabetes. For these children and the other 26 million Americans with type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, the hope of finding a cure is paramount.
Each spring, the American Diabetes Association Central Virginia’s annual Garden Party brings together individuals, businesses, organizations and community leaders in support of the more than 3 million Virginians with diabetes and prediabetes. In the last three years, the Garden Party has raised over $250,000 for diabetes research, education and advocacy. This year, in partnership with premier sponsor Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., gold sponsor Bon Secours Richmond Health System, silver sponsor Patient First and media partner FOX Richmond, the American Diabetes Association hopes to raise another $140,000 to support its mission to prevent and cure diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes® and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to improve outcomes for people with diabetes and prediabetes; provides objective and credible information to heighten the nation’s sense of urgency for the growing diabetes epidemic; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit
www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
