The Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation to Hold First Special Event in New York City

New York—March 12, 2014

The Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation (SSF) is excited to bring one of their signature fundraising and awareness events to New York City for the very first time. The first “Sip for Sjögren’s” will take place on Monday, March 17 at 6:30pm in the Rosenthal Pavilion, located on the 10th floor of the New York University Kimmel Center. The goal of the event to raise awareness for Sjögren's and funds to further the research and awareness efforts of the SSF, the only national non-profit dedicated to increasing research, education and awareness for Sjögren's.

“We are extremely excited to bring this event to New York City. We look forward to connecting with the local Sjögren's patient community, their families and friends, local healthcare professionals and our local corporate partners,.” said Steven Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of the SSF.

“In addition, over 100,000 New York City residents are affected by this autoimmune disease yet due to a lack of awareness, many remain ill without proper diagnosis or treatment. Therefore, we are also eager to help bring awareness of this debilitating disease to the largest city in the U.S.”

“Sip for Sjögren's” is a fine water tasting event created to provide an enjoyable experience directly tied to the disease itself as one of the most common symptoms of Sjögren's is dry mouth. This unique event will feature a tasting of fine bottled waters from around the world while helping to increase awareness for Sjögren's and raise funds to benefit the SSF.  We are also very excited to have Award-Winning Chef, NYC Restaurateur, Cookbook Author & Autoimmune Patient, Seamus Mullen, as our guest speaker. The event will include drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. The SSF is also incredibly thankful for our generous sponsors which include NeutraSal, Hospital for Special Surgery, University Chemists, NCM Media Networks, Nancy Cohen Roberts, Drs. Ira & Sandra Harkavy and Jonathan Axelrod & Beth Harkavy Axelrod.

Tickets are $75 each.  Please visit http://nycsipforsjogrens.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets or for additional information. You can also contact the SSF at (301) 530-4420, ext. 207.

About Sjogren’s & the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation
Sjögren's is a serious autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the moisture producing glands in the body. It can also affect any body system or organ and many patients experience extreme fatigue and joint pain. Sjögren's is the second most prevalent rheumatic autoimmune disease in the U.S, with an estimated four million individuals affected, making it three times more common than better known related diseases such as Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis. However, Sjögren's is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with the average time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis being five years. Founded in 1983, the SSF provides patients with information and coping strategies to deal with Sjögren's. In addition, the SSF is the clearinghouse for medical information and the recognized national advocate for Sjögren's.  The Foundation’s mission is to educate patients and their families about Sjögren’s, increase public and professional awareness of Sjögren's and encourage research into new diagnostics and treatments for Sjögren's.