UA Arthritis Center and UA Athletics Team Up for 2016 Desert Diamond Bear Down Luncheon, April 21

Arthritis is the most debilitating disease in society today. Every day, 53 million people experience the effects of this insidious ailment; 140,000 people with arthritis will visit their doctors; and 3,750 joints will be replaced due to the damage caused by arthritis.

The University of Arizona Arthritis Center wants to end all of that. But combating arthritis requires a team effort – and that’s why the UA Arthritis Center is teaming up with the UA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics for the game-changing 2016 Desert Diamond/University of Arizona Arthritis Center Bear Down Luncheon, to benefit the Center and its research efforts to find a cure for arthritis.

This unique event, sponsored by Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, will be held Thursday, April 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 6360 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson.

Since it began in the early 1980s, the UA Arthritis Center (UAAC) partnership with  Arizona Wildcat athletics has raised more than $1.7 million for the UAAC, a leader in the development of some of the first artificial joints as well as state-of-the-art arthritis treatments that have benefited patients in Arizona and nationwide. Current UAAC research includes studies of biomarkers that indicate early stages of osteoarthritis and preventive treatments that can affect its progression. The UAAC also has embarked on research into the effects of Valley Fever on patients with rheumatic disease, and continues studies of cartilage regeneration as well as the links between gut microbiota (microorganisms in the intestines), the immune system and the development of arthritis.

The partnership continues today with UAAC Director C. Kent Kwoh, MD, and UA Vice President for Athletics Greg Byrne. Byrne, who is active on both the Pacific-12 Conference and National Collegiate Athletic Association levels, will enlighten luncheon guests with the latest news in athletics, both locally and throughout the NCAA.

Joining Byrne as keynote speaker will be the “Voice of the Wildcats,” Brian Jeffries. With an unmistakable voice, unmatched expertise and a commitment to the UA, Jeffries will bring a unique look into Wildcat athletics and the Tucson community, sharing a bird’s eye view from the past 29 years broadcasting Wildcat Athletics.

Tickets to the Bear Down Luncheon are $100 per person ($56 tax deductible) or $550 for a table of six ($285 tax deductible). The Gold sponsor package is $2,500 ($2,235 tax deductible) and includes six tickets with signage on each table and podium recognition; the Silver sponsor package is $1,000 ($912 tax deductible) and includes two tickets to the luncheon plus signage on each table and podium recognition.

For reservations or more information, please call the UA Arthritis Center, 520-626-3699. The deadline for reservations is April 15.

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About the University of Arizona Arthritis Center
The University of Arizona Arthritis Center, a Center of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson, is a research leader with a focus on identifying the causes of arthritis and developing improved diagnosis, measurement and treatment of the disease. For more information, please visit www.arthritis.arizona.edu

About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu

Media Contact: Tracy Shake

ALSO SEE:
“UA athletics' luncheon is big assist for arthritis center” (Arizona Daily Star) | Posted April 11, 2016