Industry executives gather at Windflower Ball
Staff -- Kids Today, 11/1/2005
New York— First Candle held its annual Windflower Ball to benefit the ongoing fight against SIDS, stillbirth and other infant loss at Cipriani's here in October.
The gala honored Rick Markee, CEO of Toys "R" Us and president of Babies "R" Us, along with Dr. Hannah Kinney of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, who was honored for the strides she has made in SIDS research.
Kinney, a professor of pathology at Harvard, is the principal investigator of the Christopher James Murphy SIDS Laboratory at Children's Hospital Boston. She received the First Candle Award in March 2005 for her contributions to SIDS research.
Kinney's research was cited as a major contributing factor to the medical and scientific consensus that led to the Back-to-Sleep campaign, as it provided biologic evidence to support the idea that babies are safer sleeping on their backs. Since 1994, the onset of the Back-to-Sleep campaign, the incidence of SIDS in the United States has dropped by about 40%, eliminating about 2,000 infant deaths each year.
Funds from this year's gala will support the Alexander Williamson-Noble Memorial Fund established at First Candle by the gala's founders, Esmeralda and Hugh Williamson-Noble in memory of their son.
The Windflower Ball honored Rick Markee, left, president of Babies "R" Us.
Luanne Whiting-Lager, Regal Lager; Elisabeth Bergöö, Regal Lager; and Jane Kitchen, Kids Today magazine.
Freddie Finegood, BananaFish; Amy Chezem, JPMA; Mike Dwyer, JPMA and Janice Weinman, Kids in Distressed Situations.
