KANSAS CITY, Kan. (March 26, 2009) – Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole will be one of the leaders for the 2009 Treads & Threads, the gala on the infield of Kansas Speedway to benefit The University of Kansas Hospital.
Dole, who was the 1996 Republican Presidential nominee and former Senate leader, will be the honorary chair of the September 11 gala and Mark and Holly Faber will be the event chairs. Mark Faber is the senior vice president for sales and business development for Sprint Center/AEG and Holly Faber is a clinical nurse in the operating room at The University of Kansas Hospital.
Dole noted the 2009 event will once again benefit the clinical cancer program at The University of Kansas Hospital, which is part of the University of Kansas Cancer Center. The University of Kansas Cancer Center is leading the effort to bring NCI designation to the area.
"I am pleased to serve as honorary chair of The University of Kansas Hospital's 8th Annual Treads & Threads gala to benefit cancer patients," said Senator Dole. “As I learned when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991, cancer does not discriminate. It affects everyone, no matter your age, race, gender or status. With sustained effort, we will lessen cancer’s impact and give many more people a chance to live longer, more productive lives. I thank the many good Kansans and others who make the gala a resounding success – those who contribute, volunteers, caterers and entertainers – for a commitment that will make an impact on beating this dreadful disease."
The selection of the leaders of this year's Treads & Threads has already added a level of excitement, seven months before the event, according the Bob Page, president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Hospital.
"It is an honor to have someone of Senator Dole's reputation lend his name to the event. And since the 2009 Treads & Threads is being held on Patriot's Day, it is appropriate to team up with someone like Senator Dole who has given so much to his country," said Page.
Page also noted the contributions of Mark and Holly Faber to the community. "While the hospital sees Holly's commitment to providing the best in patient care every day, Mark has earned the community's praise for leading Sprint Center to unprecedented success. It is a winning team," added Page.
The event has raised $3.3 million for the hospital in seven years and is regularly voted one of the top charitable events in Kansas City by various publications.