To raise funds for the Johns Hopkins Colon Cancer Center

and the Colon Cancer Alliance, Anne
and her supporters will host the First Annual Gastronomique on

Friday, May 2 from 7-11 p.m. at the Maryland Science Center.

Tickets are $175.00 per person and are available by calling

410-435-1052/ 410-817-9656 or by
logging onto www.bcf.org and then going to the top of the page for the "give
now" link and then to Gastronomique- A Taste of Life.

The event will feature live music by Mambo Combo, a silent auction
and a special menu prepared by Aramark Foods highlighting McCormick &
Company spices and featuring "healthy" spice recipes. In addition, guests will
have access to the Body Worlds 2 exhibit now on display at the Maryland
Science Center. Sponsors include Whiteford, Taylor and Preston, LLP,
McCormick & Company and H&S Bakery.
As a 40-something year old professional with a husband and three
teenage girls, Anne Brennan's life has been very hectic and filled with
contracts, litigation and meetings as well as soccer practices, theater
performances and other family obligations. When Anne found out about her
illness, she knew she had a long road ahead of her and that her life would
change dramatically.
"When you find out that you have cancer, of course it's scary and
there are moments of pain and sorrow but I wanted to fight it and truly make
a difference.
Through this experience, I found out that colonoscopies were not
recommended until the age of 50 and that there were a lot of people whose
illness may have been prevented by early detection and screenings…my
crusade is to educate people and to change the recommended age to 40 or
45," said Anne Brennan. She added, "I'm confident that this unique
fundraiser will generate a greater awareness of this disease that people often
feel uncomfortable addressing and will also provide funds to two institutions
that truly deserve the support."
Dr. Michael Choti, Director for the Johns Hopkins Colon Cancer
Center provided insight, "First of all, Anne Brennan is a truly remarkable,
courageous, and tenacious individual who has rallied her friends, family and
colleagues to help bring this disease out into the open, talk about it and help
to raise funds for additional educational and outreach programs" He added,"
We have made some great strides and advances in treating patients with the
disease but still need support to bring about more change. Early detection
and screenings are paramount and we want to continue to get that message
out there."
The Johns Hopkins Colon Cancer Center is a multidisciplinary program
providing comprehensive diagnostic testing and multidisciplinary consultation
services for patients diagnosed with cancer. The colorectal cancer
department treats patients with cancer of the large bowel and those at high
risk for developing cancer of the colon and rectum.
Physicians from the departments of oncology, surgery, medicine, radiology
and pathology, along with a team of specialized nurses, social workers,
genetic counselors, patient educators and navigators, are dedicated to the
management and cure of colorectal cancer. The Johns Hopkins colorectal
cancer health care team meets regularly to discuss every diagnosis, and to
develop a coordinated approach that ensures the best possible treatment and
outcome for each patient.
The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) is a national patient advocacy organization
dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer. In order to
increase rates of screening and survivorship, CCA provides patient support,
education, research and advocacy across North America. For more
information, log onto www.ccalliance.org.
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