If the Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones is serious about winning a Super Bowl, he needs to recruit Leslie Ann Crozier, founder of the It’s Their Time foundation. The only problem is that Leslie Ann’s red zone-to-end-zone drill is already committed to a bigger game.
That focus was clearly obvious at the Dallas Country Club on Tuesday, January 23, for the kickoff of an upcoming foundation event called “From Red Zone to End Zone.” The invitation-only reception attracted a heady crowd of about 125, including early arrivals Annette Simmons and Jerry Fronterhouse, who had to check out due to another event. Gee, who could blame ’em. After all, Sally Hoglund was hosting a get-together in the Founder’s Room at DCC for Kouy Novice, wife of new Dallas Summer Musicals President Ken Novice. And across town, Lisa and Clay Cooley’s mansion had Roger Staubach recalling the wonderfulness of the late Ruth Sharp Altshuler.
And there are still those who swear nothing happens in January!
But back to Leslie Ann’s gathering and her mission, which is conquering Alzheimer’s disease. Among her early supporters on hand were Lee Bailey, Barbara and Stan Levenson, Jackie and Pete Delkus, Dr. Mark Goldberg, Carol Seay, Jimmy Westcott with gal pal Gloria Snead (Jimmy will be part of the upcoming Gloria-Juan Ernesto Snead‘s anniversary), Rhonda and Fraser Marcus, Debra Nelson, Jill Smith, Dan Owen, Sunie Solomon, Millie and Dr. Ken Cooper, Ramona Jones, Doris Jacobs, April Bosworth, Dawn Mickey, Laura and Dennis Moon, and Connie and Denny Carreker.
Denny was ramping up for his turf battle with Park Cities types on Monday, January 29. When asked about the situation, Denny didn’t hesitate — he was ready to take it on.
While Leslie Ann seemed overwhelmed at the turnout, she didn’t let it slow down her mission to raise awareness and funding for Alzheimer’s research. Unlike other Alzheimer’s programs, Leslie Ann’s was laser-sharp in that her foundation is totally focused on research to solve the deadly disease that
- is the sixth-leading cause of death in America.
- And, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s is projected to rise 55% by 2030.
In other words, this disease is a baby boomer’s tsunami.
What was driving Stanford grad/SMU MBA grad Leslie was the journey that she and her family had undertaken as her mother was swallowed up by the disease.
Before revealing details about the 2018 fundraiser by Event Chair Katherine Wynne, Leslie Ann presented a stellar gathering of brainiacs front and center. Among them were UT Southwestern Medical School NIH-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Center Director Dr. Roger Rosenberg, Dr. Kenneth Cooper, and the evening’s speaker Dr. Dale Bredesen. Said Leslie breathlessly, before introducing Bredesen, “Man, it’s a powerful group!”
While Dale’s talk at times was a bit over the heads of some in the SRO crowd, the message was clear: Alzheimer’s does not have to be a death sentence. In fact, thanks to a test of Dale’s research-based protocol, which rebalances metabolic factors by adjusting such lifestyle factors as stress, sleep quality and diet, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline are being prevented and in some cases reversed.
Many in the audience knew all too well the devastation of the disease. They had either had a family member suffer from it, or they themselves were embarking on the journey. But Dale calmed their fears, reporting that in his study of 2,000 patients, dramatic improvements were taking place.
Following Dale’s talk, Leslie Ann and Katherine revealed that the foundation would be holding a forum/dinner on Monday, May 7, at the Bush Institute to raise funds and awareness in support of Alzheimer’s victims. The “From Red Zone to End Zone” event will feature a panel discussion with Rosenberg and Rudolph Tanzi, the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Michael Hayden, Killam Professor of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia.
Like a tease, Leslie Ann concluded by admitting that changes are afoot for It’s Their Time, including a name change for the foundation. But, alas, the lawyers were going through the picky problems of trademarks and had barred her from revealing the group’s new moniker.