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 Associates to the AAAAI:
2008 Winter Newsletter
Elaine Richheimer |
President's Pen - Elaine Richheimer
2007-2008 Associates President
Welcome to “FABULOUS” Philadelphia!!
As the 2007-2008 President of the Associates, I would like to invite you to experience historical Philadelphia for the 2008 Annual Meeting for the Associates to the AAAAI, March 14-18, 2008. Get ready to spend your time at many of the city’s foremost sites such as: Independence National Historical Park which is a cluster of colonial buildings and monuments between Second and Sixth Streets in Old City. Continue your history lesson with a visit to the National Constitution Center just steps away from the park on Arch Street. Who knows, you may even bump into Benjamin Franklin! Head west from the Historic District and find yourself in the center of a very modern city. Enjoy some entertainment at the beautiful Kimmel Center where you’ll find the acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania ballet and many other wonderful entertainers.
Philadelphia has some of the finest dining where you can eat at one of their fine restaurants as well as some casual, fun fare. This town is also known for their famous cheese steaks and Italian water ices. You can experience Chinatown at 10th and Arch Streets which is one of the nation’s most vibrant Asian districts. The AAAAI has some exciting tours planned for your stay. Take a Tour of Historic Philadelphia which includes a visit to the site of The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, The Betsy Ross House, Franklin Court and a Valley Forge Tour. If you’d like to take tours at your leisure, there are self guided ones to China Town, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, (put on your jogging shoes and run up the famous ‘Rocky Steps’)
I would encourage each of you to join us on Saturday, March 15 from 9:00 am-11:00 am for our Annual Breakfast and Business Meeting being held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. With the rich cultural diversity of a city like Philadelphia, the Associates will present the very talented Monique Legare International Dance Company thanks to our Vice President of Programming, Judy Blumstein. This 20 member folk dance company will perform costumed dances from around the world, which will showcase many of the ethnic cultures found in Philadelphia. Come eat, make some new friends and find out what the Associates to the AAAAI are all about.
The year, the main headquarters hotel for the AAAAI Annual Meeting is the Philadelphia Marriot Downtown. This is connected via a covered walkway to the Philadelphia Convention Center. Once again the Associates will be sponsoring a hospitality suite with the lovely Trudy Green and some of our members beginning on Friday, March 14 thru Tuesday morning, March 18. The site of the hospitality suite will be right at the entrance between the Philadelphia Convention Center and the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.
As many of you are aware, one of the biggest efforts of the Associates is our annual scholarship program for graduating high school seniors suffering with asthma. Since its inception in 1999, we have awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to hundreds of college bound seniors in order to give some financial assistance at their chosen colleges or universities. We do receive some support for this program from the AAAAI, but that alone does not give us the total flexibility to give as much as we can! As we enter into the period of giving, I would urge you to please donate to the Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship Program. For more information and to donate, please contact our Executive Director, John Augustyniak, jaugustyniak@aaaai.org. Every dollar matters. For children and teenagers who suffer from asthma, these scholarships have helped
In closing, I would like to thank all of the board members for all of their hard work this year.
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2007-2008 Associates (Spouses and Friends) to the
AAAAI
Board of Directors
President
Elaine Richheimer
Merrick, NY
President-elect
Francene Lifson
Los Angeles, CA
Secretary
Gaylene M. Altman, PhD RN
Seattle, WA
Treasurer
Phyllis Rubin
Great Neck, NY
Immediate Past President
Frances Washburne
Shreveport, LA
Vice President, Fundraising
Margaret Quel
Marina Del Ray, CA
Vice President, Membership/Communications
Helen E. Ownby, PhD
Evans, GA
Vice President, Annual Program
Judith W. Blumstein
Blue Bell, PA
Historian/Hospitality
Trudy Green
Huntingdon Valley, PA
Parliamentarian
Mary Anne Rodriguez
Maple Glen, PA
Director (05-08)
Eleanor Grant
Galveston, TX
Director (05-08)
Gloria Schellenberg
Barnaby, BC, Canada
Director (06-09)
Vivian Kirshenbaum
Silver Spring, MD
Director (06-09)
Joyce A. Zeiss
Evanston, IL
Director (06-09)
Lynn Des Prez
Houston, TX
Director (07-10)
Rosalie S. Greenberger
Evanston, IL
Director (07-10)
Judith A. Craig
Stafford, VA
Director (07-10)
Susan La Combe
Los Angeles, CA
Executive Director
John L. Augustyniak
2007-2008 Associates Board of Directors
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Looking for a Few Good Leaders
Call for Nominations to the Associates to the AAAAI Board of Directors for 2008-2009
26 years ago in San Francisco, the first official Board of Directors of the Associates was born. This founding group of individuals was the catalyst to what has become a vibrant and enthusiastic network of volunteers who have created such programs as the Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship program, the PEAAK Program, and the AAAAI Logo Line of apparel and merchandise. At this time the Associates are seeking individuals who are interested in continuing this tradition of quality leadership for YOUR organization.
During the 2008-2009 year, the following positions
will need to be filled:
(1) Treasurer (one year term)
(1) Secretary (one year term)
(1) Vice President, Fund Raising (one year term)
(1) Vice President, Membership (one year term)
(1) Vice President, Annual Program (one year term)
(3) Directors (three year term (2008-2011)
If you or another Associate would be interested in seeking the nomination for any of these positions, please contact the Associates to the AAAAI Immediate Past President, Frances Washburne at fowashburne@bellsouth.net by January 3, 2008 to discuss your willingness to serve.
Please consider volunteering to serve YOUR allergy/immunology auxiliary organization and be part of our continued future growth!
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Membership in the Associates to the AAAAI!
YOUR Membership Organization!
Helen Ownby, PhD, Vice President, Membership/Communications
Some of you may be wondering how you suddenly received this mailing from us. Basically, when your spouse registers you as a guest for the AAAAI annual meeting, you become a member of the Associates! This registration not only allows you to go to the exhibits, but serves as your pass to use the Hospitality Suite, and to take advantage of the Associates Annual Breakfast and Program.
We are always looking for new members who wish to become active in the organization. You may or may not wish to serve on the Board, but perhaps you would like to contribute to the Asthma Scholarship Fund, join us in the Hospitality Suite to welcome new spouses, or participate in the Breakfast. We’re always looking for new members who are interested in stepping forward to take a more active role. Please make your interests known to any of the current board members and we will find a place for you.
We hope to add some new programs in the next years, so if you have ideas or programs to share, please contact Helen Ownby, Vice President, Membership/Communications, or our Executive Director, John Augustyniak (jaugustyniak@aaaai.org). We will forward your requests to the right person to get you involved.
Welcome to Associates!
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Philadelphia, a City of Neighborhoods
Associates to the AAAAI Annual Program, March 15, 2008
Judy Blumstein, Vice President, Program
The Associates Board and the Program team are proud to announce the 2008 program for the Associates to the AAAAI annual program in Philadelphia.
 Our host city Philadelphia is a city rich with very diverse ethnic neighborhoods. Various nationalities settled in different areas which became those neighborhoods. In many, the ethnicity remains today. Following that our theme, the 2008 program will be “Philadelphia-A City of Neighborhoods.”
Keeping with that, our entertainment for this years program will be a Philadelphia based professional dance troop that specializes in ethnic folk dancing - The Monique Legare International Dance Company. Their dances represent the many nationalities that make up the city of Philadelphia. Their costumes are authentic and their dancing is fun and uplifting.
As always, we encourage you to bring your friends, spouses, and children. They are all sure to enjoy this colorful and “fun” program. This will be a must attend event and space will be limited.
Be sure to mark on your agendas Saturday morning, March 15 for the 2008 Associates Annual Program. And make sure you tell your friends about it!
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Let me “E” You
As times changes, so does the way in which we communicate. We’ve gone from mail, to phone, to fax to email in what is really a small amount of time. The Associates in keeping with up to date communication vehicles is looking for our members email addresses.
The Associates to the AAAI would like to use email to get out time critical and “Hot Off The Press” information to our members in the most quick and efficient manner possible.
Please note it is the policy of the Associates not to sell either our mailing or email list to any parties for sales and or solicitation purposes.
Please complete the information form, and either fax (414.272.6070) the form or email us (jaugustyniak@aaaai.org) with your correct email, so that we may update our records.
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2008 Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship
Promoting our Future Scholars
“My will to win and beat the monster that lurks inside of me is finally proving to be the victor. Never letting my asthma get me down has opened up numerous doors for me, athletically and academically. Perseverance, through those hard nights with the nebulizer, the missed days of school, and holidays spent in the hospital, was the most important virtue I acquired. My asthma has taught me that no matter what obstacle is placed in front of me, I must learn to overcome it to succeed”
-- Kylie E., Recipient of a 2007 Associates to the AAAAI Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship
The Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship began in 1999 as an initiative of former Associates president, Virginia Fawett, JD (TX) and then Associates Executive Director, Robin McQuiston. Since the program’s inception, the Associates have awarded more than $200,000 to nearly 500 deserving graduating high school seniors who suffer with Asthma.
In 2007 alone, the Associates presented 36 $1,000 Scholarships and 32 $100 Merit Awards to deserving students. The recipients were from 31 states and for the second year a recipient from Canada.
For the past several years, the funding for these scholarships has come from the AAAAI Board of Directors and from all of you via you bidding on items in the Associates Not-So-Silent Auction held during the AAAAI Annual Meeting each year. However, we feel that we need to offer more options for giving to this important initiative.
At this time we are appealing to you as a fellow Associate to speak to your physician spouse or friend and discuss making a direct tax deductible contribution to the Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship Program. To make your contribution, please contact our Executive Director, John Augustyniak (jaugustyniak@aaaai.org), to make payment arrangements or complete the form and submit with either a credit card payment or check.
On behalf of all the children who suffer with asthma, we ask you to help and donate to the Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship Program. Remember, this is just another way to continue to help the in the providing of optimal patient care.
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