Heroes Honored at Black Tie Gala
October 25, 2008
Bobcats Sports & Entertainment (BSE) President and Chief Operating Officer Fred Whitfield, Presbyterian Hospital President Mark Billings and ESPN’s Linda Cohn hosted more than 600 guests at Time Warner Cable Arena for the second annual “My Hero Gala” black tie fundraiser to support the Bobcats Youth Foundation and the Presbyterian Hospital Community Care Cruiser. This year’s event, presented by Deloitte, featured the entire Charlotte Bobcats team and coaching staff, a cocktail reception and a live performance by the Urban Guerilla Orchestra. My Hero Gala Awards were given out to education advocate Sue Gorman, healthcare provider and medical missionary Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown and youth mentor Dell Curry in honor of their contributions to the Charlotte community.
“This was a night to celebrate partners, programs and heroes that have had a positive and lasting impact on the people who live in this great city,” said Whitfield. “Sue, Dell and Dr. Garmon-Brown are just a few of the heroes who make Charlotte a special place, and to honor them on a night when we were able to raise so much money for the Bobcats Youth Foundation and Community Care Cruiser is a real testament to the character and quality of this community.”
Gorman serves on CMS’ SchoolMATES committee, an initiative that promotes school-to-school partnerships, and is the founder and chair of Parent University, a collaborative effort between parents and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to help parents become partners in their children’s education. Dr. Garmon-Brown, a family medicine practitioner and hospital leader, works closely with the Salvation Army Women and Children’s Shelter, Charlotte Community Health Free Clinic and other free clinics in the area to provide comprehensive preventive health care to the underserved. Curry, a 16-year NBA veteran, established the Dell Curry Foundation and partnered with other athletes to form Athletes United for Youth to create five learning centers in Charlotte that provide kids with mentoring, counseling and educational opportunities.
The evening also served as a celebration of the Community Care Cruiser, a mobile health clinic that provides comprehensive primary and preventive medical care to un- and underinsured youth. Led by a medical director and staffed by a pediatric nurse practitioner, nurse and social worker, the Cruiser offers screening services, immunizations, prenatal care, asthma treatment and health resources in underserved neighborhoods. Since last November, the Cruiser has logged more than 5,000 miles, treated more than 1,200 patients, administered more than 1,600 immunizations and provided more than 35 referrals to community health resources.
“Studies have shown that the number one barrier to health care is lack of access,” said Billings. “Thanks to the generosity and support of the Charlotte Bobcats, tonight we have made great steps toward breaking down those barriers by ensuring that the Community Care Cruiser will have another successful year in operation.”
Bobcats Sports & Entertainment, through the Bobcats Youth Foundation, is committed to improving the quality of life across the region by focusing on the community pillars of literacy and education, fitness and recreation, and health and wellness through partnerships with organizations and programs like Deloitte, Presbyterian Hospital and the Community Care Cruiser.
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