GIVE KIDS A SHOT! National Meningitis Association Gala 2013 A Benefit to Save Lives

NEW YORK - April 23, 2013 - PRLog -- The National Meningitis Associations (NMA) Gala for 2013 is honored to present their "Community Leadership Award" to honorees Samantha and Kyle Busch. NMA is celebrating celebrity "philanthropist " and NASCAR; champion Kyle Busch and his lovely wife, Samantha. Active philanthropists, they established the Kyle Busch Foundation (KBF) in 2006 shortly after Kyle visited St. John's Home for children. It is a safe house in Grand Rapids, Michigan that cares for children ages 6-18. Inspired by the daily challenges faced by these children, Kyle created KBF to provide assistance to organizations like St. John's and the children who live there. These include several children's homes in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. His wife, Samantha is instrumental in raising funds and awareness for KBF. NMA shares Samantha and Kyle's commitment to fostering a safe environment for children to live.

The popular 2013 National Meningitis Association Gala, held its annual Give Kids a Shot event at the elegant New York Athletic Club, 180 Central Park South, New York 10019 on Monday, April 22, 2013. Cocktails & Silent Auction begin at 7:00 PM followed by dinner & the NMA Awards. Popular broadcast journalist and author Rita Cosby will be the evening's Emcee.

The National Meningitis Association (NMA) is a nonprofit organization founded by parents of children who have died or live with long-term effects from meningococcal disease, also called bacterial meningitis. NMA works to protect families from the potentially devastating effects of meningococcal disease by educating the public, medical professionals and others about the disease and its prevention. The NMA network also provides critical emotional support for families who have been affected by meningococcal disease. Additionally, NMA raises awareness of other preventable diseases and recommended vaccines across the lifespan.

Honorary Chairs for the event are Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr. & Para-Olympic Gold Medalist Nick Springer; Gala Chairs Lenore Cooney, Cooney/Waters Group, Sara Herbert-Galloway & Gary Springer, Springer Associates PR; Vice Chairs, Joanna Goldenstein, KPMG,LLP; Barry J. Klarberg, Monarch Wealth & Business Management.: Ulrika "Red" Nilsson, Redcircle International, Inc. & Heike M. Vogel, Arent Fox LLP; Auction Chairs, Matt Klarberg, Monarch Wealth & Business Management and Errol Rappaport.

2013 Honorees are William Schaffner, M.D., Health Achievement Award; Cindy Krejny, Moms on Meningitis Award; Massachusetts State Senator Jack Hart, Nancy Ford Springer Inspiration Award; Samantha and Kyle Busch, NASCAR Champion, The Kyle Busch Foundation, Community Leadership Award.

Celebrities attending include Logan West, Miss Teen USA 2012 & Emma Kenney, teen star of Showtime's "Shameless" and Bree Michael Warner, "I Carly".

Honorary Committee includes Michael Badalucco, Susan & Hon. James A. Baker III, Lynn Grossman & Bob Balaban, Steve Buscemi, Victor Calise, Commissioner Disabilities, Mayor's Office, City of New York, U.S, Senator Susan Collins, Judy & Rod Gilbert, Adam Graves, Amy Madigan & Ed Harris, Lainie Kazan, Felicity Huffman William H. Macy, Chenoa Maxwell, Congressman Michael M. Michaud, James Naughton, Congresswoman Shelly Pingree, Heather Randall, Susan Sarandon, Joe Sirola, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Liv Ullman and Thomas Cook.

Medical Committee includes Richard Besser, ABC News; Paul Offit M.D.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Nancy Snyderman, M.D.NBC News.; James C. Turner, M.D., Professor of Internal medicine, University of Virginia and Dr. Roger W. Yurt, Chief of Burn Surgery, NY Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Committee members include Stewart Lane & Bonnie Comley, Norma Abbene, Jeri Acosta, Eileen Boyle, Lynn & Alan Bozof, Peggy & Mike Bressler, Elizabeth Browning, Lori & Curt Buher, Lorraine C. Cancro, Elizabeth Cier, Terry M. & J. Price Corr, M.D. , Thomas Cook, Rita Cosby, Christine DeLisle, Jamie DeRoy, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, Robert Farber, Laura & Jack Fitzpatrick, Jeri Brooks, Greenwell, Jonathan Hadaya, Laura & Ken Hartwig, Charlotte & Harvey Hodges, David Hyrcyk, Lucia Hwong-Gordon, Susan James, Marcie L. Kammel, Nikki Klarberg, Josh Klein, Jeffrey Kramer, Donna & Michael Laforgia, Lucy Jane Lang, Marian Koltai-Levine & Dan Levine, Kedakai & James Lipton, Ida Liu, Barbara & Earl Magdovitz. Leslie Maier, Cindy Marinangel, Chenoa Maxwell, Kevin McGovern, Sherri Michelstein, Jennifer Mocbeichel, Jan & Michael Planit, Susan & Peter Purdy, Frank Recchia, April Sandmeyer, Cassandra Seidenfeld Lyster, Jean & Martin Shafiroff, Allison Strassberg, LaForce + Stevens, Carol & Gerald Tufano, Carolyn & Rick Waghorne and Mr. & Mrs. John Wukovits III.

The Silent Auction features an extraordinary array of one-of-a-kind experiences, art work and luxury items such as a week for twelve in an elegant Acapulco Cliffside villa; VIP tickets to the Justin Timberlake & Jay Z Concert at Yankee Stadium; Exclusive NASCAR Sprint Cup VIP Experience for 4 at Your Choice of Event; Behind-the-Scenes Tour for 4 of Good Morning America in NYC with ABC News' Dr. Richard Besser; Ermenegildo Zegna Made-to-Measure Blazer; Calla Lilly Original archival pigment print from famed fashion photographer Robert Farber's book Natural Beauty, Sport Medicine Therapy Sessions with Tamara Eristavi in NYC and much more.

To bid please visit http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/nma/catalog_items?locale=en&page=1

For more information about NMA's life-saving work, please visit www.nmaus.org

Kyle Busch Foundation at http://www.kylebuschfoundation.org/