Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 2 a.m.
IF YOU GO
- What: Inaugural Colors of Lupus Gala
- When: 6 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Treasure Island Ballroom
- Tickets: $50 per person, $500 per table; 831-3414
An evening of lighthearted entertainment will be held Saturday at Treasure Island for a very serious cause – lupus.
“This is such a debilitating disease,” says Hui-Lim Ang, founder and executive director of the nonprofit group Colors of Lupus Nevada. “The problem is that lupus does not create a sense of urgency. A person can have it and look just like you or me – it eats you from the inside.”
The benefit, co-sponsored by the Las Vegas Hispanic Council, will include a silent auction, dinner, entertainment and dancing to raise money for the new organization that hopes to make the public more aware of the disease and to help those who suffer from it.
The guest of honor will be Rep. Dina Titus.
Magician and comedian Steve Dacri will host the event. Entertainment includes singers Jeneane Marie, Grant Griffin and Tony Sacca; violinists Olga Breeskin and Willy Wainwright; contortionist Samson the Great; Terry Davis Jr. Band; and Jose Fajardo’s troupe of Mexican folk dancers and mariachis.
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body — skin, joints, and organs. An estimated 5 million people, including 1.5 million Americans, have lupus.
It can’t be cured, but may go into remission. It is often misdiagnosed - common initial and chronic complaints are fever, malaise, joint pains, myalgias, fatigue and temporary loss of cognitive abilities, symptoms often seen with other diseases.
“It doesn’t cause instant death or grotesque disfigurement, but that doesn’t mean the suffering is not real or the pain is less,” Ang says. “It’s just that nobody knows about it, nobody sees it.”
The Colors of Lupus organization has relied on volunteers in the past, but Ang hopes to raise enough money to hire a small staff and to begin the process of educating the public and helping the victims of the disease.
Treasure Island, now known as TI to many, is a Strip casino and resort that features a tropical pool, a variety of restaurants and Las Vegas' first resident Cirque du Soleil show.
Before even entering the casino, Treasure Island treats visitors and Strip passersby with a raucous and free pirate show, "Sirens at TI," each evening in the lagoon in front of the property.
Inside, guests will find a 95,000-square-foot casino with thousands of slot machines, a race and sports book, a poker room and plenty of table games. Treasure Island boasts a variety of dining options, from unique barbecue at Gilley's, to Vietnamese at Pho, to Carribbean with flair at Kahunaville.
After dark, head over to Senor Frogs for nightlife "where anything can happen," or pick up tickets to the visually stunning "Mystere" by Cirque du Soleil.
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