Local Residents to Receive Major Awards from Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

by Judy Silberstein

(April 20, 2004) When close relatives and friends were impacted by the serious digestive diseases of Crohn's and colitis, Stephen and Ruth Hendel of Larchmont and Alan Grad of Mamaroneck got involved in raising funds for research and other support through the Fairfield/Westchester Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Now that foundation is presenting these local residents with major awards at its 23rd annual luncheon on Saturday, May 8. The awards go to leaders from the arts, medicine, and business for their outstanding contributions to CCFA, whose mission is to cure and prevent Crohn's and related diseases and to improve the quality of life for those affected by these digestive conditions.

Stephen and Ruth Hendel will receive the CCFA Humanitarian Award

This year’s CCFA Humanitarian Award goes to Stephen and Ruth Hendel for their long-time support of the organization, its research programs and fundraising events. Stephen Hendel is a managing director and founder of Hess Energy Trading Company. Ruth Hendel is the producer of Tony Kushner’s Broadway musical, Caroline, Or Change and Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin In The Sun. (See: "A Raisin in the Sun" Shines Again on Broadway- with Two Larchmont Producers)

The Hendels have witnessed first hand the suffering caused by Crohn’s disease. One of their closest friends suffers from Crohn’s and has had numerous surgeries. “We were first introduced to the wonderful work of the CCFA by our Larchmont friends, Ellen and Marvin Ochs and Beth and Steven Korotkin. Inspired by their drive and dreams to find the cause of and the cure for Crohn’s, we began supporting the Foundation,” reported Ruth Hendel.

CCFA Honoree Alan Grad and son Corey

Mamaroneck’s Alan Grad will receive CCFA’s Distinguished Service Award for his many contributions to the organization. Grad is the chief executive officer and president of American Business and Professional Program, Inc., which specializes in estate and charitable planning, pensions and business insurance. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Fairfield/Westchester Chapter, and a former member of CCFA’s national board of trustees. Currently he serves as chairman of the local group's Research Alliance, which he helped found, and head's up the charity golf classic committee.

Grad’s involvement with CCFA goes back eleven years to when his then five year-old son Corey was hospitalized for six weeks at Mt. Sinai with what turned out to be Crohn’s disease. “The CCFA chapter was there for us to guide us to the right physician and to support groups – and to guide us to how we could help,” said an appreciative Grad.

Corey’s physician, Dr. Keith Benkov, will also be honored on May 8 with the Doctor of Distinction Award. He is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and director of the newly opened Children’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Mount Sinai. In addition to his professional services, in the summer, he has volunteered at Camp Kiwi, where children with digestive diseases take a break under the watchful eyes of knowledgeable doctors and nurses. (See: Sleepover Nets $1K for Kids with Crohn's & Colitis) “Children rave about it,” reported Grad.

“Crohn’s is a disease you can’t cure,” Grad continued. “It’s treated and there have been major advances in diagnosis, drug therapy – some of which have helped others with unrelated diseases.” The research alliance raises funds, sifts through grant applications and selects the programs and physicians it will support.

Ongoing research is making an impact. “That’s one of the reasons that I found the research alliance,” said Grad.

Corey has been fortunate to be relatively symptom free for the past three years. He is playing #1 singles for Mamaroneck High School’s tennis team, and though Crohn’s often effects children’s growth, at sixteen, he now towers over his dad.

A nationwide network of over 50 CCFA membership chapters, like the Fairfield/Westchester Chapter, works in local communities to provide medical seminars for professionals; patient and parent support groups; educational literature for children, teens and adults; children’s camps; fundraising events and other public awareness campaigns. For additional information about CCFA and the Annual Spring Awards Luncheon, call the Fairfield/Westchester Chapter at 914-328-2874 or visit www.ccfa.org.

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