Event and Press Information
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EVENT AND PRESS INFORMATION Life As A Zebra Foundation Why Life as a Zebra? In medical school, students are taught to diagnose patients based on the condition that’s most likely. This idea goes along with the saying: “When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.” The horses are the likely explanation, while the zebras are less likely. A medical zebra, then, is a person with a rare medical condition. Life as a Zebra Foundation’s Mission The Life as a Zebra Foundation educates, advocates, and secures funds and charitable contributions for the prevention, treatment, and research of various hard to diagnose invisible illnesses including, but not limited to, Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome, dysautonomia, and vasculitis. What We Do Secure funds for education, prevention, treatment, and research of various invisible illnesses including, but not limited to, Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome, dysautonomia, and vasculitis. Build a community of people who care about eradicating various chronic, invisible illnesses. Inspire and advocate for people who live with chronic, invisible illnesses by sharing personal stories about living with chronic illnesses through print and public speaking engagements. Accomplishments Life as a Zebra Foundation became a domestic, nonprofit foundation on November 8, 2012. The Life as a Zebra Foundation as raised nearly $70,000 for invisible illness awareness, education, and research in the three years since its establishment. The Life as a Zebra Foundation spearheaded the adoption of a resolution for Invisible Illness Awareness Week in the state of Michigan, held May 25-31, 2014. In June of 2014, members of the Life as a Zebra Foundation board traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with various federal congressmen and senators in order to advocate for a National Invisible Illness Awareness Day of Action. Katie Dama Jaskolski of Life as a Zebra has been nominated multiple times for various health activist awards through WEGO Health including Best Blog, Health Activist Hero, and the Trailblazer Award. Life As A Zebra Foundation ONE SHEET Event: The 4th Annual Benefit Concert: Noah Guthrie as seen on “Glee,” and Chris Trapper from the Push Stars, to Benefit Invisible Illness Awareness and Research Headliners: Noah Guthrie, Described as having a Pop/Americana sound with soul, the 20 year old co-wrote the majority of his thirteen originals, along with his first single, Call Home. He may have been called the male version of Adele or a mix of John Legend and Dave Matthews in the past, but as his social media username shows, there is Only 1 Noah. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, Jay Leno's Tonight Show, Dancing With The Stars, and several U.S. and European Radio Stations, and covers of his version have been featured on the US version of The Voice and The X Factor, and will appear in the upcoming season of Glee. Chris Trapper, of the band The Push Stars, is a Boston-based singer-songwriter, most known for his #1 selling song This Time, from the Grammy nominated soundtrack for August Rush. Date: Saturday, April 11th, 2015; 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. Venue: Kellogg Center: Lincoln Room & Kellogg Center Auditorium Description: This night of music and inspiration is presented by the Life as a Zebra Foundation, which is dedicated to helping those who are battling invisible illnesses. Benefiting Charities: The proceeds that are raised at this year’s benefit will support Life as a Zebra Foundation’s projects and initiatives to educate, provide awareness, and support research for various invisible illnesses. Significant funding will be dedicated to groundbreaking POTS research led by world-renowned physician, Dr. Blair Grubb, through a partnership between Life as a Zebra Foundation and the University of Toledo Medical Center. Ticketing: Gala and concert early bird discount $40 until March 11, 2015. $50 at the door. New this year: $25 concert only tickets. Tickets go on sale February 1, 2015. Available online at www.ZebraNation.org (AMEX, MC, Discover, Visa accepted); or at the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 500 East Michigan Ave., Lansing, MI. (Cash only please) Event capacity: 250, all ages welcome Timeline of Events: 6:00 Doors Open to the Annual Gala and Silent Auction 6:30 Welcome from Hosts Allie Dama and Katie Dama Jaskolski –Cocktails, appetizers, silent auction 7:30-7:45 Silent Auction Closes and Transition to Auditorium 8:15 Chris Trapper Performs 9:30 Intermission 9:45 Noah Guthrie Performs 11:00 Meet and Greet with Noah Guthrie & Chris Trapper Organizers and Contact Info: Katie Dama Jaskolski, Host [email protected], Cell: 517-256-1088 Jan Pfeiffer, Event Coordinator, [email protected], Office and Cell: 517-377-1410 Jill Morell, Silent Auction Coordinator, [email protected], Cell: 616-610-4372 Advertising: Flyers will be distributed in the Lansing and East Lansing area prior to the event. Social media, including a Facebook event page with information about the show, charity, venue, artists, sponsors, news coverage in the Lansing and East Lansing area newspapers, radio stations and billboards. PRESS RELEASE Life As A Zebra Foundation For Immediate Release – January 12, 2015 4th ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT FOR INVISIBLE ILLNESS WILL FEATURE NOAH GUTHRIE FROM GLEE AND CHRIS TRAPPER FROM THE PUSH STARS LANSING, MI – Life As A Zebra Foundation is proud to announce that the 4th Annual Benefit Concert will take place Saturday, April 11th from 6pm-11pm at the Kellogg Center in Lansing, Michigan and will feature musical acts Noah Guthrie from Glee and Chris Trapper from The Push Stars. The evening will include a gala with cocktails, appetizers and a silent auction. The gala will be immediately followed by the concert. Gala and concert early bird discount tickets are $40 until March 11, 2015; $50 at the door; and, new this year, $25 concert-only tickets will be available. Tickets go on sale February 1, 2015 online at www.ZebraNation.org or at the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. Proceeds that are raised at this year’s benefit will support Life as a Zebra Foundation’s projects and initiatives to educate, provide awareness, and support research for various invisible illnesses. Significant funding will be dedicated to groundbreaking POTS research led by world-renowned physician, Dr. Blair Grubb, through a partnership between Life as a Zebra Foundation and the University of Toledo Medical Center. “The annual benefit concert is the cornerstone of our fundraising and awareness efforts,” said Katie Dama Jaskolski, President and Co-Founder of the Life as a Zebra Foundation. “The foundation started out of the first benefit concert four years ago, and has far surpassed our expectations as far as the outpouring of support from the general public when it comes to these conditions. We have realized that everyone knows someone when it comes to invisible illnesses.” 96% of people with chronic medical conditions live with a condition that is invisible. Invisible illnesses are chronic conditions that are not easily observed by the general public, and are often not readily seen by medical professionals. Invisible illnesses include lupus, fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, Crohn’s disease, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, among others. More about the acts: Noah Guthrie is described as having a Pop/Americana sound with soul, the 20 year old co-wrote the majority of his thirteen originals, along with his first single, Call Home. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, Jay Leno's Tonight Show, Dancing With The Stars, and several U.S. and European Radio Stations, and covers of his version have been featured on the US version of The Voice and The X Factor, and will appear in the upcoming season of Glee. Chris Trapper is a Boston-based singer-songwriter, front man of The Push Stars, and most known for his #1 selling song This Time, from the Grammy nominated soundtrack for August Rush. About Life as a Zebra Foundation The Life as a Zebra Foundation was founded by two sisters, Katie Dama Jaskolski and Allie Dama, who each lived with debilitating symptoms while searching for correct medical diagnoses. Dama Jaskolski has been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Dama was diagnosed with polyarteritis nodosa vasculitis. The Life as a Zebra Foundation educates, advocates, and secures funds and charitable contributions for the prevention, treatment, and research of various hard to diagnose invisible illnesses. For more information, please,contact Katie Dama Jaskolski at 517-256-1088 or [email protected] and visit our website at www.ZebraNation.org. ### Life As A Zebra Foundation For Immediate Release - March 20, 2015 THE LIFE AS A ZEBRA FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO MEDICAL CENTER ON GROUNDBREAKING POTS RESEARCH Lansing, MI – The Life as a Zebra Foundation (LAAZF) is pleased to partner with The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC) to support Dr. Blair Grubb’s groundbreaking Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) research. Dr. Grubb is a world-recognized expert in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia and POTS, a debilitating disease that causes dizziness, sudden fainting, and an inability to carry on the basic functions of daily life. In 2015 and for many years in a row, Dr. Grubb has been named one of America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly. POTS patients from around the country and the world seek out Dr. Grubb’s care at UTMC, where they are treated with his trademark kindness, thoroughness, and compassion. Dr. Grubb is a leader in the discovery and use of new approaches for the treatment of POTS. Recently, Dr. Grubb and his colleagues at UTMC have embarked on a new research project that holds great promise for unlocking the underlying cause of POTS. Dr.