AROUND TOWN

Top row, clockwise from left:

Stacy and Mark Wittenberg of Bloomfield

Hills.

Angela and Dr. Jack Ruckdeschel, president

and CEO of Karmanos, of Grosse Pointe

Don Benyas and Florine Mark, both of

Farmington Hills.

Middle row:

Donna Silver of West Bloomfield, Phyllis

Canvasser of West Bloomfield and cancer

survivor Marica Nodel of West Bloomfield

David and Pat Sachs of Southfield with

Robin and Michael Fenberg of Birmingham

Linda Dresner and Ed Levy of Detroit

Bottom row:

Stacy and Mark

Miriam and Dr. Jeff Forman with David and

Wittenberg of

Robbie Segel, all of West Bloomfield

Bloomfield Hills.

Niki Fink, auction co-chair, and Todd Fink of

Bloomfield Hills with Lowell Salesin of

Bloomfield Hills and Ross Partrich of West

Bloomfield

Honoree Al Taubman of Bloomfield Hills

with former Mayor Dennis Archer of Detroit.

Partners Against Cancer

A benefit ball is integral in the fight to outwit a killer.

STORY

M

etro Detroiters
reached for a cure
under a full moon
at the General
Motors Technical Center Vehicle
Engineering Center in Warren. The
occasion: the 12th annual Partners
Ball benefit for the Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute.
The Sept. 17 evening featured a
cocktail reception, a sweeping silent
auction of 734 items that raised
$95,000 and a strolling dinner.
Partners, a group of young local pro-
fessionals united with the Detroit-
based institute in the fight against
cancer, has raised more than $4.2 mil-
lion over the past 12 years.

24 •

OCTOBER 2005 • JNPLATINUM

BY RONIT PINTO

■

PH OTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

The group honored A. Alfred
Taubman of Bloomfield Hills — one
of America's top entrepreneurs and
philanthropists — for his dedication
in fighting cancer and his leadership
in the community.
"Partners are so committed to
finding a cure," said Karmanos
Director of Community Partnerships'
Pat Sachs of Southfield. "They are a
young group of people who get
young people involved. That's impor-
tant. We want to make our jobs go
away because we've found a cure."
Half of the proceeds from the
event will go toward a new state-of-
the-art information system at
Karmanos, the other half toward

advanced laser technology.
"I don't think most people realize
we have one of the largest and great-
est cancer centers right here in
Michigan," said Florine Mark of
Farmington Hills, who attended with
Don Benyas, also of Farmington
Hills.
Karmanos has the proven ability to
provide cancer care above and
beyond anywhere in the Detroit
area," said Ed Levy of Detroit, a 27-
year supporter of the institute. "I'm a
cancer survivor who was treated at
Karmanos," said Levy's wife, Linda
Dresner, owner of Linda Dresner
apparel stores in Birmingham and
New York. "It was absolutely the

most exceptional and caring care. I
really felt they knew who I was and
wanted me to be comfortable."
"I know there are a lot of people
who would benefit from Karmanos —
people in need who don't have the
support system or doctors that I had,"
said Marcia Nodel, a cancer survivor
from West Bloomfield. "That's why I
support them."
Also among the 530 guests: former
Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer; auc-
tion co-chairs Julie Karmanos and
Niki Fink with husband, Todd Fink,
all of Bloomfield Hills; and Donna
Silver, Phyllis Canvasser, Marcia
Nodel and auction co-chair Heather
Schneider, all of West Bloomfield. El