Diabetes event brings in record bucks

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Oct 31, 2007

FREMONT -- A record $100,000 was raised to support the Diabetes Education Program at Washington Hospital during this year's Top Hat dinner dance, the 21st annual fundraiser for the Washington Hospital Healthcare Foundation.

More than 540 guests attended the black-tie-optional event that featured a cocktail reception, dinner, silent auction and live entertainment by the Joe Sharino Band and Caribbean Blue.

The proceeds from this year's event, held Oct. 13 at the Fremont Marriott hotel, will go toward the Diabetes Education Program at Washington Hospital, which recently received the American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate.

According to the American Diabetes Association, one in three people born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

"Nearly 100,000 people in the Tri-City area have diabetes and a third of them don't even know it," Brent Hodson, executive director of the Washington Hospital Healthcare Foundation, said in a statement. "The record proceeds that were raised will help Washington Hospital further expand its highly recognized diabetes program."

For more information about the program's services, call 510-745- 6556.

Since the first Top Hat dinner dance fundraiser was held in 1987, the event has gone on to raise more than $1 million to support programs and services at Washington Hospital.

Washington Hospital's Diabetes Program is located at 1860 Mowry Ave., Suite 200, Fremont. For updated diabetes class and program information, visit htpp://www.whhs.com, click on "Services & Programs," and select "Diabetes Services" from the drop-down menu.