For Immediate Release:
Hockey Greats and Magnotta Golf For Lyme Disease
It's a devastating illness that more and more people are getting but
few people know about, including our doctors. It's called Lyme disease.
Rossana Magnotta wants to change all that. Her husband Gabe, founder of
Magnotta Wines, has been devastated by it and is now confined to a
wheelchair. So she has set out to raise money and raise awareness. The
True North Golf Tournament on Monday was designed to do both.
At the press conference before the tournament, Elvira Caria started
things off by showing a trailer for a movie now in production. Called
"Under Our Skin", it provided a brief glimpse into the many aspects of this
disease, how it is spread, how it effects the body and how politicians
and the medical profession are dealing with it. Perhaps it would be
better to say, not dealing with it.
"If I seem bitter, angry and scared, it is because I am," said Rossana,
as she began her comments after the video. She went on to describe how
this illness has devastated so many lives, including her family's, and
yet it is being ignored by doctors and politicians in Ontario, in fact
across the country.
On hand to answer questions were Jim Wilson, president of the Canadian
Lyme Foundation, Katherine Teasdale, a former race car driver and
Stephanie Smith, all of whom are suffering from the illness. Their symptoms
varied, part of what makes the disease difficult to diagnose by the
uninformed, but a strong sense of frustration was common to all,
frustration with a medical system that doesn't want to listen.
The celebrity golfers, hockey greats Johnny Bower, Darryl Sittler, Dale
Hawerchuck and Rick Vaive, listened attentively, shocked to realize
how vulnerable they are to catching the disease. Anyone who spends time
outdoors is susceptible. That includes golfers.
The tournament culminated with dinner, attended by Gabe, where a cheque
for $30,000 was awarded to the Canadian Lyme Foundation to further
their efforts to raise awareness and bring about a change in testing
procedures. "The tests used in Canada are unlikely to identify Lyme", said
Jim Wilson, "it is one of the things we need to change. There are much
better tests available."
This event also served as the launch of Magnotta’s long-term campaign
to support the cause. The maverick winery has released a 2006 Cabernet
Sauvignon Special Reserve VQA with proceeds going directly to support
the Canadian Lyme Foundation.
If you are interested in more information on this important topic (and
you should be) or to make a donation visit www.canlyme.com. You might
also want to purchase a bottle of wine at your local Magnotta outlet.
