Arthritis Foundation to honor Queens leaders

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 12:06 PM EDT

The nation’s largest non-governmental source of funding for arthritis research has for the past 14 years honored “the best and the brightest in the Queens community.”

The Arthritis Foundation’s New York Chapter recently announced that it will again honor the borough’s standouts in the health and corporate communities with its 15th Annual Queens Leaders’ Award Reception.

The event, which includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, networking, a silent auction and an award ceremony, will take place on October 22 at 6 p.m. in the Center for Automotive Education and Training’s atrium, in Whitestone.

Ten committee members, representing fields from health to finance, selected this year’s honorees, who include Sophia Ganosis, the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s chief of operations; Peter Koo, President of the Starside Drugs and Surgicals chain; and Dr. Jeffrey Rosen, the chair of New York Hospital Queens’ orthopedic and rehabilitation department.

“The main goal is to raise awareness about arthritis – certainly the need to fund more cutting edge research,” said Polly Whitehorn, the organization’s Development Specialist for the New York Chapter.

Individual tickets are $185 and sponsorship opportunities range from $500 up to $10,000. All proceeds go toward researching arthritis, a group of conditions that Whitehorn said affects one in five people and is routinely clouded in misconception.

“We’ve come a long way in treating arthritis, but we still have a long way to go,” Whitehorn said.

To purchase tickets or become a sponsor, contact Polly Whitehorn at 212-984-8706 or pwhitehorn@arthritis.org.