Sharon von Maur
2009-2010 Associates (Spouses & Friends)
to the AAAAI President

It is exciting to think about the 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans February 26-March 2, 2010, and your Associates Board is busy planning an exciting time for everyone.

New Orleans offers a great place to enjoy the architecture of the French Quarter, the wonderful museums, and of course the antique stores and shopping. After a busy day you can sample one of the many fabulous restaurants.

Since we are in the cuisine capitol of the South, we decided to leave the traditional "hotel ballroom experience" and have the Saturday, February 27 Associates Breakfast and Business meeting at Calcasieu. Calcasieu is a private event facility inside the Cochon Restaurant in the Historical Warehouse District, not far from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (home of the 2010 AAAAI Annual Meeting). The Chef at this restaurant is Donald Link. Chef Link is a James Beard Award winner, who has been highlighted in USA Today, Bon Appétit, and the New Orleans Magazine.

The event will consist of a full breakfast while you are entertained by the wonderful Joe Simon jazz trio. When your spouse or friend registers for the meeting, be sure that he/she checks off the box ("Will attend the Associates Breakfast"). There is no additional charge to attend but everyone does need a ticket to enter.

In addition, the Associates would like to have a silent auction at this event and give the money raised to an asthma camp to provide a wonderful experience for campers. We encourage all of our members to bring an item to auction at the breakfast. Items that sold well in the past include jewelry, wine bottles, gift certificates and condo weeks. If you don't have any items to donate, we still encourage you to come and bid at the auction or make a donation to the fund. Further information will be made available to all of you later this fall.

The Associates (Spouses & Friends) to the AAAAI is a great place to make new friends and join a group that promotes the allergy/immunology profession. As part of maximizing your membership experience, I hope that you would all consider becoming part of our volunteer team. By becoming a volunteer leader, you get the opportunity to work with a great group of hardworking spouses and friends and be part of moving forward the allergy/immunology specialty.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the meeting and to touring a revitalized New Orleans this coming February-March 2010.

What does my guest meeting registration get me?

• All guest registrants are AUTOMATICALLY members of the Associates (Spouses & Friends) to the AAAAI for a one year period from Annual Meeting to Annual Meeting.
• All those with guest registration badges can enter into the Exhibit Hall.
• All guests registrants can visit the Hospitality Suite/Associates to the AAAAI Membership Zone (located at the AAAAI Annual Meeting Headquarters Hotel).
• An opportunity to help in making an impact on the allergy/immunology profession by becoming an Associates volunteer.

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"
Associates Breakfast and Business Meeting
Saturday, February 27, 2010
9:00 am to 11:00 am
Calcasieu, 930 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA
(This is a ticketed event that will require pre-registration to attend)

The Board of Directors of the Associates to the AAAAI would like to invite you to start your Annual Meeting experience off right and join us for a New Orleans style breakfast at Calcasieu, directed by the James Beard award winning chef Donald Link. The Joe Simon Jazz Trio will provide you with jazz sounds of New Orleans.

This breakfast event (open to only AAAAI Annual Meeting registered Guest attendees) is a perfect opportunity for you experience New Orleans hospitality. It is also a great way to meet new friends and reconnect with many of our Associates to the AAAAI "stars." There is a 125 person limit so you must register in advance (as part of your Guest registration signup). This event will also serve as the Associates official Business Meeting, where you as members of the Associates will be able to officially honor your current and future leaders of this dynamic organization under the umbrella of the AAAAI.

For more information on the AAAAI Annual Meeting and the host city of New Orleans, visit the Annual Meeting Website at www.annualmeeting.aaaai.org

Note: Transportation to this event is the responsibility of the attendee and you will need your ticket to enter. Calcasieu is located two blocks from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Home of the 2010 AAAAI Annual Meeting.

Trying to figure out what to do make the most out of your Associates membership experience and your time in New Orleans?

Make sure you stop on by the Hospitality Suite/Associates to the AAAAI Membership Zone, located in the Burgundy Room, Street Level, of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. The hospitality suite will be open beginning on Friday, February 26-Monday, March 1. Hours of operation are: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm each day. Stop by, have a cup of Joe, chat, and learn how you can help the A/I specialty!

Want to be part of the changing landscape and the future direction of the Associates to the AAAAI? Contact our Executive Director, John Augustyniak to learn how you can become an Associates "Star".

Note: We are currently looking for several individuals who have an interest in serving on the Associates Board of Directors beginning in March 2010. Please contact the Associates executive offices for further details.

Like the Facebook random things notes, here are some thoughts you may or may have not known about the Associates (Spouses & Friends) to the AAAAI.

1. Even though the Associates became an official group in 1982, the first leaders of an auxiliary organization met in 1979.
2. Membership in the Associates is automatic when you register as a guest attendee to the AAAAI Annual Meeting.
3. The Associates is governed by a volunteer Board of Spouses and Friends to the AAAAI.
4. Although governed by a separate Board of Directors, the Associates is a constituency group of the AAAAI.
5. Only 4 special membership awards have been given to past Associates leaders. These include founding members Miriam Bernstein and Mary Frick, along with past leaders Judith Spector and scholarship founder, Virginia Fawcett.
6. From its inception in 1999 to its most recent program, the Associates Award of Excellence Asthma Scholarship Program for graduating high school seniors, has given away more than $250,000 in scholarships to students suffering with Asthma so that they may achieve their educational dreams.
7. Since it's inception, the Associates to the AAAAI have contributed over $100,000 to the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Education and Research Trust (AR Trust) to help further the allergy/immunology specialty.
8. The Associates members were the trendsetters in the development of apparel to promote the specialty. First items included the IgE earrings and tie tacks, and AAAAI ties and scarves. Many of those items are still available for purchase through the Associates to the AAAAI executive offices
9. The silent auctions held by the Associates have raised over $25,000 to support special initiatives of the Associates. Make sure to visit this year's auction at the Breakfast program or stop by the hospitality suite to make a donation to help youth suffering with asthma and other allergic diseases realize their dreams.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Registration and housing open to ALL delegates

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Delegate pre-registration and hotel reservation deadline

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Delegate registration and hotel cancellation deadline

To see and contact your current leaders with questions, visit, http://www.aaaai.org/members/associates/board.stm.

Watch for future issues of the Associates E-News for further updates on the meeting and other Associates membership related events.