Nov 17, 2008
New York City Chapter of the National MS Society turns annual gala into fun and games
Meghan Finn
212-453-3209
mfinn@msnyc.org
New York, NY The New York City Chapter of the National MS Society will not ask its most valued donors to pull their formalwear out of the closet for the same old annual dinner anymore. Instead, the chapter will introduce its guests and the U.S. to The Brain Games at the Dinner of Champions Tuesday, October 21 at Cipriani Wall Street. Loosely based on a charity event that began in the UK about 20 years ago, the corporate supper quiz will have some of Manhattan’s best brainiacs competing against one another for bragging rights to the unofficial title: “NYC’s Smartest Company.”
Teams will be comprised of one table of eight who will use a remote control to answer questions in categories ranging from sports and NYC trivia to news and finance. The quiz will feature videos of questions and answers provided by familiar personalities including Meredith Vieira, Today co-anchor and the Naked Cowboy.
“We are excited about this fun and interesting twist on our annual dinner and feel the Brain Games are an excellent way to capture both the competitive and charitable spirit of New Yorkers. The number of fundraising galas in the city can be overwhelming and, by revamping an important event, we hope to not only energize guests who have joined us for years, but to attract and introduce new supporters to our cause a world free of MS,” said Jenny Powers, vice president of special events at the chapter.
The chapter is expecting 400 guests will help raise approximately $700,000 in support of critical national MS research and for the hundreds of annual programs and services the chapter provides nearly 7,000 NYC residents living with MS. Companies that have already purchased tables include Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft LLP; Deloitte; Pfizer, Inc.; Structure Tone, Inc.; and, Tishman Speyer. In addition to potentially winning the traveling Brain Games MS Cup and the title “NYC’s Smartest Company,” contestants will compete for prizes from Bloomingdales, Coach, Macy’s, Steve Madden and many more.
WHAT: 31st annual Dinner of Champions featuring the Brain Games
WHEN: Cocktail reception and silent auction from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; dinner and Brain Games from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
WHERE: Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, New York, NY
HOW: Call 212-453-3208 to purchase tickets. Tables start at $10,000 and
individual tickets can be purchased for $,1000
About the New York City Chapter
The New York City Chapter of the National MS Society helps the thousands of New Yorkers impacted by MS continue to move their lives forward. We provide hundreds of comprehensive support services and educational programs to people with MS, their family and friends, and raise funds locally to support the National MS Society’s research initiatives. For more information, visit http://www.msnyc.org/ or call 212-463-7787.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2007 alone, through our home office and 50 state network of chapters, we devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested over $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at
http://www.nationalmssociety.org. Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at http://www.nationalmssociety.org or 1-800-344-4867 (1-800-FIGHT-MS).
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
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Teams to vie for title of “NYC’s Smartest Company” October 21
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