Striking up the Band for 11th Annual Cocktails & Karaoke on Nov. 3

Event Benefits Chronically Ill Students at Kunsberg School at National Jewish Health

Young Denver professionals attending the 11^th annual Cocktails & Karaoke fundraising event on Nov. 3 are already warming up their voices and practicing their moves.  Those who choose to perform on stage at Casselman’s Bar and Venue will be backed up by a live local band. The evening event raises funds for the Kunsberg School for chronically ill students on the campus of National Jewish Health.

Kunsberg School is a free day school for 90 kindergarten through eighth grade students, all of whom have chronic illnesses. Most families of Kunsberg School students are at or below poverty level. As in years past, attendees raise money for the students by singing or paying to get their friends and co-workers on stage to sing. They also can increase their support by donating money for items the children need, including field trips, physical education equipment and medical equipment.

The mission of Kunsberg School is to provide a safe, friendly and healthy school environment where students succeed academically, medically and socially. Typically, students attending the school have fallen behind their peers at their neighborhood schools because of illnesses, including severe asthma and/or allergies, sickle cell anemia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other respiratory and related disorders. The Kunsberg School provides the support and attention that helps the children succeed. While at school, Kunsberg students receive care and learn to manage their illnesses with nurses and National Jewish Health pediatricians on site to help them.

Kunsberg School students eat nutritious meals, exercise daily and practice positive social interaction. The students learn in small classes from teachers with advanced degrees using the latest educational technology tools; they demonstrate their knowledge by showing steady improvements on the CSAP test and outpacing their peers in similar schools. Upon graduation, Kunsberg students have the skills to lead healthy, productive, meaningful and active lives.

Cocktails & Karaoke is led by Event Chairs Hadley Cox and Andrew Duke, and Kunsberg Chair and former Kunsberg student Brian Parks. Committee members include Seth Benson, Marc Cohen, Zach Frisch, Barb Gallagher, Dana Pluss Parks, Merc Pittinos, Mary Claire Pittinos, Maximillian Potter, Ashleigh Rothhammer, Taylor Schierburg, Ellen Stewart and Donald Vancil.

To attend Cocktails & Karaoke or for more information about the event, contact Michael Meyers at 303.728.6576 or meyersm@njhealth.org.

National Jewish Health is known worldwide for treatment of patients with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders, and for groundbreaking medical research. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health remains the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to these disorders. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked National Jewish Health the number one respiratory hospital in the nation.