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
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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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