January 8, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lorena DeLancey
(585) 442-6420 x2211(office)
ldelancey@epiny.org (email)
Acclaimed Journalist Kurt Eichenwald to Deliver Keynote for 34thAnnual Chocolate Ball, “Beyond the Reef”
DATE: Saturday, February 1, 2020 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm
LOCATION: Hyatt Regency, 125 E Main Street, Rochester, NY 14604
ADMISSION: $200/ticket; corporate tables available
TICKETS: www.epiny.org
Epilepsy-Pralid (EPI) is pleased to announce that lauded American journalist and author Kurt Eichenwald will be the highlighted speaker for the 34th Annual Chocolate Ball on February 1, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown.
Having spent most of his career as a senior writer and investigative reporter with the New York Times, Eichenwald has also served as a contributing writer for Conde Nast’s Portfolio magazine, Vanity Fair and Newsweek. He is the New York Times bestselling author of five books, including The Informant (2000) which was made into a feature film released in 2009 starring Matt Damon.
In 2018, Eichenwald penned perhaps his most poignant work with the publication of A Mind Unraveled. In this acclaimed and unapologetically raw story, he recounts his terrifying and brutally frustrating ordeal with epilepsy. During his freshman year in college, he suffered a debilitating seizure, the result of a concussion earlier in the day. Scared, confused and unsure, Eichenwald sought treatment only to be warned by medical professionals and college authorities to “keep his condition a secret” lest it affect the greater campus population. A Mind Unraveled recounts his struggles and ultimate triumph over illegal discrimination that forced him out of school (he fought and returned to graduate), prejudice in the workplace, near fatal misguidance from physicians and the ongoing struggle to understand his new reality.
Through sheer grit and determination, Eichenwald persisted in his quest for recovery and understanding. His story is one of strength and inspiration as he doggedly pursued his dream of writing while battling through the crippling effects of a serious and often stigmatized brain disorder. A Mind Unraveled brought to light the incapacitating effects of epilepsy, the evolution of social acceptance and has been heralded as a must read for anyone seeking to overcome a significant life challenge.
Proceeds from the annual Chocolate Ball fund EPI’s epilepsy programs and services such as support groups, education, youth conferences and the only week-long overnight camp in New York State for kids with epilepsy. The highlight of the event is the Chefs Cake Competition when local Pastry Chefs create elaborate chocolate cakes inspired by the theme of the event, this year being the depths of the ocean and marine life.
EPI serves people in 22 counties in New York State, including the greater Rochester area, the Finger Lakes region, Syracuse and Binghamton. EPI provides tailored support solutions to meet the physical, behavioral, and social needs of people with epilepsy, developmental disabilities, and brain injuries.
The agency serves more than 6,000 children and adults who suffer from epilepsy, seizure disorders, brain injuries, and developmental disabilities. Seventy children, age 8 to 17, attend EPI’s Camp EAGR. The camp is held in August at the YMCA Camp Weona in Wyoming County, New York. The camp, open to children who suffer from epilepsy and their siblings, has an on-site 24-hour medical team of neurologists and nurse practitioners.
EPI is a founding member of the Epilepsy Alliance America, a new nation-wide network of human service agencies dedicated to providing local support to people affected by epilepsy.
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