Feb 25, 2008

Parkinson's foundation wins at bike race gala

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

"Power the Parkinson's Peloton Gala" was a champion fundraiser, netting more than $400,000 for the Davis Phinney Foundation, supporting Parkinson's disease research. The Feb. 16 two-part event featured a public symposium at Stanford University and a dinner auction (which sold out a month in advance).

Davis Phinney, an all-time record-holding and Olympic bronze medal-winning U.S. cyclist, was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's in 2000 and started his research foundation in 2003.

"I was blown away by the success of both our 'Power the Parkinson's Peloton Gala' and the 'Exercise and the Brain' symposium that Stanford hosted," Phinney said. "The gala was, simply put, an amazing evening - a great mix of cycling, celebrity and message. And I'm just so thankful for everyone's generosity."

At least 400 people turned out for the symposium featuring Dr. Anne Friedlander, Dr. Frank Longo, Dr. Tom Colier and Phinney.

Dr. Helen Bronte-Stewart, director of the Stanford Movement Disorders Center, spoke on "Training Into the Deficit: Adapting the Super-Athlete Training Model to Parkinson's Disease." She described the recent discovery of the benefits of serious exercise, and said Phinney had slowed the progression of Parkinson's with his exercise regimen.

At the evening gala celebrating the Amgen Tour of California, the highlight for the peloton (main body of bicycle race riders) in attendance was seeing Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen (the voices of the Tour de France) interview a panel of cycling legends - George Hincapie, Bobby Jurlich and Floyd Landis - on the subject of the future of cycling.

Seen dining with cycling stars Mari Holden, Chris Hipp, Phinney's son Taylor and his wife Connie Carpenter were Deepak Kamra, Jim Ellison, Scott Russell, Bob Halperin, Randy Komisar, John and Teresa Micek, Noelle and John Micek Jr., and raffle prize winner of a pair of Tour de France tickets, Dave Helfich.

The buzz of the evening surrounded the surprise participation of Robin Williams and Landis in a prologue ride, called the "elite ride" by organizer Sassan Golafshan of Form Fitness in Palo Alto. Williams also attended the evening gala and auctioned a collector's package - a Floyd Landis team bike and jersey along with Lance Armstrong's yellow jersey - that sold for $75,000.

Auctioneer Dave Towle achieved high bids on a pair of Lakers tickets ($15,000) and an opportunity to be a brain surgeon for a day ($8,000).


HUMANE SOCIETY SILICON VALLEY

Serving Santa Clara County since 1929, the Humane Society Silicon Valley, which has found homes for 500,000 animals during its history, recently embarked on an ambitious capital campaign for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art animal community center.

Friends and supporters gathered at the Village Pub in Woodside on Feb. 12 for a preview of the project, with its goal of changing the warehousing of companion animals to that of community involvement.

Highlights included a video featuring adopters and their pets and a slide presentation by President Christine Benninger showing the details of the new facility.

Located on a five-acre site in Milpitas, the 48,000-square-foot Milpitas facility will be completed by spring 2009 and will be equipped to house 15,000 abandoned animals each year. The Society hopes the center will be a model for the entire country. The innovative facility will feature an adoption galleria with homelike habitats for animals, a boarding facility, doggie day care, grooming center, dog park and training center, pet store, pet-friendly cafe, education center and an outdoor arena, as well as affordable spay/neuter services and a veterinary hospital with a public viewing room.

Seen applauding the industrious project were Gary and Diana Bulanti, Tom Byers, Sue Levy, Sue Diekman, Melissa Dyrdahl, Susan Carsten, Jenn Sherez, Connie Ho, Michele Mandell, and Elsie Floriani and Ron Wendt of Gentry Magazine.

"I'm proud of the work we do because it is unique. We save lives and enhance lives, both four-legged and two-legged," President Benninger said, and added, "There are happy endings."


"SILICON VALLEY: 110 YEAR RENAISSANCE" BOOK-SIGNING

For anyone interested in the development of the technology industry, "Silicon Valley: 110 Year Renaissance," published by the Santa Clara Valley Historical Association, is a must-read.

Presented in the context of world events, the chronological history of the billion-dollar industry has direct quotes from more than 100 inventors and entrepreneurs along with wonderful photographs. In the introduction, co-author John McLaughlin wrote: "Silicon Valley is descended from the imagination. Boundaries here are best drawn by connected intellects, not by place names."

Co-authors McLaughlin and retired San Jose Mercury News columnist Leigh Weimers not only greeted friends and colleagues at a book-signing reception at the San Jose Fairmont Hotel on Feb. 15, they donated half of the event proceeds to the San Jose Rotary Endowment.

McLaughlin, founder of the Palo Alto Historical Society, worked three years on the update to the original book that he wrote in collaboration with the late Ward Winslow. He enlisted Weimers to write the new chapters that cover the events of the last decade.

"Silicon Valley is a 10," Weimers said. "I would give my assignment a 10 - (the past 10 years were) a time of excitement with boom, bust and recovery, and the advent of e-mail and Internet companies including Google and Yahoo!"

Seen with their autographed copies were Peninsulans Roy Mize Jr., Lina Broydo, Peter Lonsky, and Charlene Archibeque and Dr. Robert Melnikoff, along with journalist Mary Gottschalk and History San Jose CEO Alida J. Bray.

The book is available at local bookstores and on Amazon.com.

E-mail Janet Duca Norton at society@paloaltodailynews.com.