Testimonial Dinner, April 17, 2009, Alpharetta Marriott

The Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types (F.I.R.S.T.) will be honoring Michael W. Briggs at a testimonial dinner on Friday, April 17, 2009 at the Atlanta Marriott in Alpharetta, GA.   As you know, Mike worked for UPS for 36 years, starting his long and distinguished career in upstate NY in 1963.  After a variety of assignments and relocations, Mike served as Southwest and then Northwest Region Manager before completing his career in Corporate in 1999. Mike has been a true pioneer for F.I.R.S.T.  Armed with the passion to find a cure for his grandson, who was born with a very rare form of ichthyosis, Mike provided the spark to ignite F.I.R.S.T.’s own in-house research program. (see article below) I’m sure you will agree that Mike is very deserving of this honor as his level of generosity and commitment to our Foundation has been extraordinary.  Although he is humbled by this honor, his main objective is to help raise money to support the mission of our organization and to one day find a cure that will help his youngest grandson. We are writing to invite you to show your support of this exciting event by purchasing tickets to attend the dinner or by making a donation in Mike’s honor.  All donations will be listed in the evening’s program book and all proceeds will benefit the important work at F.I.R.S.T. Simply click on the link to make your secure online donation using PayPal today or mail your donation, made payable to F.I.R.S.T., to the address below. If you are interested in attending the dinner, please contact Jean Pickford at [email protected] Thank you for your support, Chairpersons - Ernie & Vita Brown Committee: Kim & Ken Blaker, MaryEllen Curzon, Carol Klafter, Kelly & Mark Klafter, Becky & Jerry Nerone, Gary Price, and Rosemary & Bud Wheeler

F.I.R.S.T.  has chosen Michael W. Briggs, UPS retiree and grandfather to Adam Klafter, an affected child with ichthyosis, to be honored for his unprecedented support of the Foundation, and specifically for his efforts in helping launch a research grant program. Ichthyosis is considered a rare, “orphan” disease. Up until three or four years ago, very little research was dedicated to novel therapies and new treatments.   “Mike has been a true pioneer for F.I.R.S.T.” said Jean Pickford, Director of F.I.R.S.T..  “Thanks to this research program, F.I.R.S.T. is now able to close that gap by encouraging innovative and breakthrough research in these once-overlooked disorders. “ Mike’s grandson, six-year-old Adam, was born with a very rare form of ichthyosis called Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis (EHK).  Characterized by dry, fragile, scaling skin that is thickened in many areas, EHK is extremely rare, affecting about 1 in every 300,000 births.  Extreme thickening on the hands and feet, like in Adam’s case, can make walking very difficult and the cracking around the fingers can make simple tasks painful. “After Adam was born, we quickly learned that there was little out there in terms of medical research - I knew I had to change that”, says Mike.  “This program enables us to fund groundbreaking research for ichthyosis and if we can keep the momentum going with continued funding, we will be able to talk in terms of not if we can find a cure, but when.” Adam Klafter, age 6, affected with EHK One of the research programs funded by F.I.R.S.T. may provide some promise for Mike’s grandson, Adam.   A grant funded two years ago to Dr. Dennis Roop at the University of Colorado at Denver is producing some incredible results.   Dr. Roop along with Dr. Jiang Chen have discovered how to change cell biology for EHK patients that may ultimately improve the quality of the skin, provide better structure, and minimize the thickening.   Testing of laboratory mice has yielded positive results.  F.I.R.S.T.’S IN-HOUSE RESEARCH PROGRAM - Nine Research Grants Totaling $600,000 Funded in Three Years - Since the inception of our own in-house research grant program just three short years ago, F.I.R.S.T. has been fortunate to receive a total of 26 eligible grant applications for some exciting research opportunities.  Thanks to generous donors and benefactors, F.I.R.S.T. had the ability to fund nine of these grants, totaling a $600,000 investment in cutting-edge research. In addition to the work out of the University of Colorado at Denver, some other highlights include trying to develop topical creams that can deliver missing enzymes to control scaling skin, and working with mice that are affected with different forms of ichthyosis to explore new ways of fixing defective proteins that are missing.  Other programs include measuring how ichthyosis affects a person’s quality of life. As we begin our fourth year of the grant program, we are poised for more exciting research grant applications to be submitted. Our vision is wide, but unfortunately our funds are limited. Please consider making your end-of-year tax deductible donation to F.I.R.S.T. in support of our research and educational programs.     The Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types’ (F.I.R.S.T.) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advocacy, causes, treatments and cures of ichthyosis.  Ichthyosis is a group of approximately 28 very rare types of skin disorders characterized by dry, thickened, scaly skin.  F.I.R.S.T.’S mission is to educate, inspire and connect those touched by ichthyosis and related disorders through emotional support, information, advocacy, and research funding for better treatments and eventual cures. Incorporated in 1981, we are a caring organization recognizing the unique challenges faced by our community and provide support with kindness and empathy.   F.I.R.S.T. is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and guided by a Medical & Scientific Advisory Board of experts in ichthyosis and related disorders.  While celebrating today's strengths and successes, F.I.R.S.T. strives to convey that the future will be filled with friendship, support, and cures.    F.I.R.S.T. conducts itself in a trustworthy, ethical, and reliable manner in everything they do and say and they provide accurate and timely information to meet the medical, social and educational needs of our community. (F.I.R.S.T. is a registered 501c(3) not for profit organization #94-2738019) F.I.R.S.T.  1364 Welsh Road  - Suite G2- North Wales, PA  19454      (215) 619-0670  www.scalyskin.org