|
The history of the Patrons of Cystic Fibrosis, the guild that hosts the Gala, dates back to 1984 when Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, raced in an offshore power boat through the Inside Passage to raise money for CF. The event was sponsored by Robert Tezak and International Games, and raised $200,000 for CF research.
Resa and Chad Moore, co-founders of the guild and the parents of Lissy Moore, a child with CF who died in March of 1998, felt Mr. Tezak should be recognized for his work and therefore held a dinner in his honor. At that dinner, a thirteen-year-old girl with CF, Kristen Bigos, spoke to the audience and made quite an impression. Sadly, she died three months later because of her disease.
Since then, the Guild has carried out its activities in her memory. The event has evolved into an annual black-tie dinner and auction, the Breath of Life Gala & Auction. In 1984, its first year of existence, our Auction raised $225,000. That amount has grown to a point where in the past 23 years we have raised more than $30 million.
|