About 150 of the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s largest supporters gathered at the Fairmont San Francisco on Saturday night for the Donors of Merit recognition event. In celebration of the Foundation’s 30th anniversary, the event reflected on the journey to advance treatments and improve patient care.
Foundation President David Karp, MD, PhD, applauded leaders who have played an essential role in the Foundation’s work to improve the health of people with rheumatic diseases. Corporate Roundtable donors, Founders Circle members, and Legacy Society members were among those acknowledged.
The event culminated with the induction of the inaugural class of Honorary Board of Advisors, reserved for individuals who have made a transformative contribution or act of leadership, making an indelible mark on the Foundation’s future fundraising success.
The 2015 inductees included Mary K. Crow, MD, who encouraged an unprecedented $5 million gift from the American College of Rheumatology, and James O’Dell, MD, who initiated the successful Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis campaign to raise $30 million. The late Ephraim P. Engleman, MD, FACP, FACR, was inducted as the first individual to endow an award at the Foundation, the Ephraim P. Engleman Endowed Resident Research Preceptorship. Norman B. Gaylis, MD, was inducted for being the first practicing rheumatologist to make a $1 million commitment to the Foundation, which established the Norman B. Gaylis, MD, Research Award for Rheumatologists in Community Practice.
To learn more about how the Foundation uses donations to improve patient care and the field of rheumatology, visit the Discovery Center in the Exhibit Hall.