Sip for Sjögren's is a Success in Albany

On Thursday, October 25, the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation held its first annual Sip for Sjögren's: A Fine Water Tasting Event at The Crossings of Colonie near Albany, New York.

The idea of a fine water tasting was created by Steven Taylor, CEO of the Foundation. "For years I have been saying we should have a water tasting, but little did I know that our Albany volunteers would take it to another level!" Steven added, "We all know that Sjögren's patients sip water throughout the day, so what better way to combine information about our disease with a fundraising event! It was a perfect combination."

While tasting some of the finest bottled waters from around the world, guests also learned about Sjögren's syndrome and the work the Foundation does to combat the disease. In addition, guests enjoyed bidding on gifts and prizes offered at a silent auction.

Jerry Gretzinger, news anchor for CBS Channel 6 in Albany was the evening’s guest speaker. The event garnered much media coverage including a feature story on the Fox23 Albany.

(You can read a transcript of that story here on the Fox23 Albany website To view a video of the broadcast, visit the Fox23 Albany video page, select "Local Video News" as your category and search for "Dry Disease").

Special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Advanced Vision Research, makers of TheraTears products as well as to the event’s Founding Sponsor, The Newell Foundation. Several local companies, including Dobert’s Dairy, EC Cars, Hughes Insurance Agency, and Custom Auto Body, also contributed generously to the event.

We also are excited to announce that the Foundation already is working on another Sip For Sjögren’s event for the Atlanta, Georgia area. The event will be held in the spring of 2008 with the hope of adding at least one more location elsewhere in the country.

If you would like to learn more about how to coordinate a Sip for Sjögren’s event in your area, please contact Susan Hepler, Director of Development, at 800-475-6473 x220 or shepler@sjogrens.org.

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