Welcome to our first electronic newsletter. Lupus Colorado staff members couldn’t be more thrilled that hundreds of you responded to our mailing indicating that you want to continue receiving the newsletter, but in its electronic form.
“While we know there are some who will miss the printed piece, the cost-savings benefits are substantial,” said Lupus Colorado CEO Debbie Lynch. “If we can allocate more money directly into lupus research, we believe that is the responsible thing to do.”
Postage costs are increasing in 2013 as has been the trend for the past few years. Lynch estimates the organization will save more than $14,000 annually on printing and postage costs. The newsletter will still be published each month, but rather than be delivered to mailboxes, it will be delivered to Inboxes.
Not to be forgotten are the advantages to the environment. Reams of paper will be saved, not to mention envelopes, ink and stamps.
And what if you don’t have a computer or access to e-mail? Lynch said to call Lupus Colorado at 303-597-4050. The organization will send a printed copy to you.
“We all realize that it can be a challenge to keep up with technology without losing long-time readers,” Lynch said. “We don’t want to lose our loyal supporters who may not be able to access technology for whatever reason. We will make accomodations for this group.
Chances are, you know someone suffering from lupus. But you probably don’t know it, because people with lupus rarely look sick.
Although lupus affects more people than AIDS, sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis combined, sadly—researchers still don’t understand the cause or have cure. And research for lupus is severely underfunded.
On May 3, 2013, Lupus Colorado is raising awareness and raising money for the disease with a benefit concert for lupus research, An Evening of Motown Magic. This energetic evening of dancing and entertainment will feature two of Denver’s most sought-after acts, the Hazel Miller Band and Ron Ivory’s One on One, at one of Denver’s premier venues, The Soiled Dove Underground at Lowry.
Hazel Miller has been a popular performer in Colorado for 24 years. Whether she is singing blues, jazz, pop, or gospel, her voice charges the songs with a primal dose of genuine soul.
Ron Ivory’s One on One is a quartet which showcases Motown, classic soul and old school rhythm and blues just the way you like it. This quintessential quartet features songs from the 50′s thru the 90′s, including songs by artists such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Marvin Gaye.
Performer Ron Ivory has seen the impacts lupus can have on a person’s life.
“Since the mid 80s I’ve been aware of the disease, since that time I have encountered numerous persons, mostly friends, with the disease. Some have passed on and others are still alive and dealing with its effects — health-wise and with their quality of life,” Ivory said. “I am hoping this event will bring more awareness and contributions to its study, cause and cure as well as other auto-immune diseases. Through song and positive energy, we are hoping that An Evening of Motown Magic will bring lupus to a positive end.”
Not only is Lupus Colorado appreciative of the talented people who are supporting this event, but also of the businesses who have come on board to sponsor the event. This includes title sponsor Xcel Energy, Jammin’ 101.5 radio, The Denver Urban Spectrum newspaper, and The Soiled Dove.
“It’s a privilege to have two acts of this caliber perform at the same event along with the support of these Colorado companies,” said Lupus Colorado CEO Debbie Lynch. “We thank them for coming together to bring more support and attention for people who suffer from lupus.”
Tickets can be purchased at www.blacktie-colorado.com, Event Code Lupis53, for $30 each. The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. on May 3 at The Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E 1st Ave., in Denver.
“We’re hoping everyone will come out and support this cause,” said Rhonda Jackson, Lupus Colorado Special Events and Outreach Consultant. “Great music, fun and dancing.”
Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried was the recipient of the “Kia Community Assist Award” in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work.
As a result, Kia and the NBA donated $10,000 on Faried’s behalf that he chose to split between the Lupus Colorado and Special Olympics Colorado Projects UNIFY. Faried’s mother has lupus.
“Seeing my mother fight through lupus, that’s one of those things that sticks with you,” Faried said in an NBA interview. “She’s kept fighting all these years and tried to survive. I’ve learned a lot from her, about not quitting, having passion about everything you do. She’s passionate about rebounding for me. So that’s why, every time I play, I just tell myself every rebound I get is going to add an extra day to her life.”
By Chris Dortch, NBA News
NBA teams vet their potential draft picks like presidential candidates, using all sorts of tools and tests to determine mental and physical worthiness. But there’s one thing that can’t be measured — not with any certainty anyway — and that’s heart, desire, want to. Ask Kenneth Faried, the pride of Morehead State, why he recently passed Tim Duncan as the NCAA’s leading rebounder in the freshman era (post 1973) and he’ll trot out the standard “will and toughness” maxims. But prod him a little bit, as NBA teams will surely do, and the real reason he’s been called the next Dennis Rodman surfaces.
Faried’s mother Waudda suffers from lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s natural defense system, causing inflammation, pain, and tissue damage. Lupus is incurable but can be managed with rest, exercise, medication, and, apparently in the case of Waudda, rebounds.
“Seeing my mother fight through lupus, that’s one of those things that sticks with you,” Faried said. “She’s kept fighting all these years and tried to survive. I’ve learned a lot from her, about not quitting, having passion about everything you do. She’s passionate about rebounding for me. So that’s why, every time I play, I just tell myself every rebound I get is going to add an extra day to her life.”
If that’s true, Waudda Faried is going to outlive us all. With at least one more game — in next week’s NCAA Tournament — still to play, Faried has racked up 1,643 rebounds. No player since the NCAA began allowing freshmen eligibility in 1973 has grabbed more. Faried’s rebound total is 11th in NCAA history, and as if he needed any more motivation to chase down errant shots, he’s still not the all-time leading rebounder at his own school. Steve Hamilton stands just ahead of Faried in 10th place with 1,675.
Don’t put it past Faried, who’s leading Division I in rebounding for the second straight season (14.5 rpg), to slip by Hamilton. Faried has grabbed 20 or more boards in five games this season, including 23 against Tennessee State. That performance made Tennessee State coach John Cooper a fan for life.
“First of all, you’ve got to understand, the guy is unique,” Cooper said. “And there’s a side of him, that, as a coach, you just absolutely love. Work ethic, toughness, determination, whatever you want to call it, you just have a sense of appreciation for him.
“What he does, night in and night out, there’s not a coach in America that would not want him on his side. Not one.”
Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall is just glad Faried’s on his side. Four years ago, when he was starting to rebuild a struggling program, Tyndall gained the slimmest of connections to Faried because he had recruited a player from Faried’s native New Jersey at a previous job. Not that Tyndall needed more than a brief intro. Division I coaches weren’t exactly falling over themselves to recruit Faried, who at the time wasn’t much heftier than a No. 2 pencil at 6-foot-8 and 185 pounds. Worse, he wasn’t qualified academically.
Once Tyndall discovered Faried, he hung in there with him until he gained eligibility, whereupon a grateful Faried promptly signed scholarship papers. Tyndall had stolen one, and a two-time NCAA Tournament team at a school that had traditionally struggled gained its primary building block.
Not once in the four years he’s coached Faried has Tyndall laid any claim to the big man’s ability to board. But Tyndall did introduce Faried to the weight room, where he added 40 pounds of muscle. Like Cooper and everyone else who watches Faried play, Tyndall is just a fan, albeit one who has put in a lot of time studying what makes his star player so great at what he does.
“There are three things that go into being a great rebounder,” Tyndall said. “One, you have to have incredible drive or passion to chase the ball. Two, you have to have a great second jump; if you miss-time your first jump, your second jump has to be just as good. And three, you have to have good hands.
“Kenny’s got great hands. He can get just one hand on a ball and get it away from a guy who has two hands on it.”
Lest anyone think Faried has fattened up his rebound numbers playing against mid-major competition, he’s actually put together some of his best games against Top 25 teams.
“That’s Dennis Rodman all over again,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said after Faried torched his frontcourt, thought to be the best in the Southeastern Conference, for 20 points and 18 boards. “If I was an NBA general manager I’d be taking him with my pick. That’s what a next-level guy looks like.”
“The big kid is legit,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said even before Faried went for 15 and 12 against the Buckeyes. “… He’s on the glass on every shot. … I think he’s the epitome of a power forward.”
If Faried becomes the epitome of an NBA power forward, he’ll have his mother to thank. Frustrated when he wasn’t scoring much for his youth league basketball team, Faried asked Waudda what he should do. She offered some sage advice.
“She told me to just go get my teammates’ misses,” Faried said. “If I wanted to score, I needed to create my own opportunities.”
Little did mother or son realize at the time, but going after misses will one day provide a comfortable living for them both. NBA general managers should take note: Faried’s desire to be the king of the carom will never change, and for good reason.
“My mother loves it,” Faried said. “She’s always loved to hear more about my rebounding than my scoring. When I call her after a game, I’ll tell her about my points or dunks, and she always says, ‘how many rebounds did you get?’ If I say nine, that’s not good enough, even if I scored 20 points. So I’m always trying to get double figures. I can’t let her down.”
Chris Dortch is the editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
The LRI conceived of the Lupus Initiative to meet what we identified as the critical need to improve recognition and diagnosis of lupus among healthcare professionals.
A study just published in The American Journal of Medicineconfirms the need for professional training to develop the knowledge base needed for primary care physicians to test appropriately for lupus and refer to rheumatology specialists as needed. In collaboration with the Offices of Minority Health and Women’s Health and the U.S. Surgeon General, the LRI successfully advocated for Congressional allocations to develop the professional training program, the Lupus Initiative, expected to launch this year.
ABOUT LUPUS COLORADO Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all people affected by Lupus and to promote efforts for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure of Lupus.
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