ALLIANCE OF GENETIC SUPPORT GROUPS
GALA CELEBRATION PLANNED ON OCTOBER 12
The Alliance of Genetic Support Groups, a coalition of voluntary organizations and professionals, will be celebrating their tenth year anniversary with a Benefit Gala on October 12, 1996 at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Joan Weiss, M.S.W., Executive Director of the Alliance, will be honored at that time for her ten years of dedicated service to the Alliance. Joan's committment to people with genetic conditions began long before the Alliance was founded when she worked with Dr. Victor McKusick in medical genetics at Johns Hopkins Hospital. (Dr. McKusick wrote the well-known genetics reference catalog, Mendalian Inheritance in Man.) Joan has also announced her retirement. She has been a longtime friend of the Treacher Collins Foundation. While we will dearly miss her, we wish her well in her future endeavors. (Joan's not likely to sit still for long!) The Treacher Collins Foundation will also be honored at this anniversary celebration as an invited member of the Honorary Commitee of Support Groups. TCF shares this honor with eight other genetic support organizations, including the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Part of the evening's festivities will include a "Hall of Fame" which will be a showcase for these honorary support groups. TCF will have the opportunity to display our publications and other materials and share our successes with a wide range of consumers, genetic professionals and other guests. Additional activities will include a computer workshop to learn more about computer technology and peer support, and the Alliance Membership Meeting. TCF hopes you will plan to join the celebration and visit the TCF display. For further information about the gala, contact the Alliance at