Arthritis Foundation Honors Al Pacino with 2009 Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award, 11/14

The Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will present the 22nd "Commitment To A Cure" Awards Gala on Saturday, November 14th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award to actor Al Pacino.

"The Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award is the highest honor given by the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation," said Mitchell A. Jacobs, Chair of the Board. "It is presented to individuals who exemplify the leadership, commitment and dedication to humanitarian causes that Ms. Wyman herself demonstrated in the fight to find a cure for arthritis." He added, "Al Pacino has a history of charitable giving. We are very grateful for his support of the 46 million adults and children with arthritis, and are honored that he will join us at the 'Commitment to a Cure' Awards Gala to receive the Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award."

"We are delighted to recognize Al Pacino, a legend in the entertainment business," said Morgan Rector, President of the Comerica Bank Entertainment Group. "We encourage you to support this extraordinary evening in recognition of his history of charitable giving and lifelong contributions to our industry."

The Arthritis Foundation is also pleased to recognize and honor Gary N. Holland, M.D., an international authority on infectious and inflammatory eye diseases including uveitis, a disease affecting many children with arthritis.

In addition to honoring the award recipients, the evening will include a cocktail reception, dinner, live auction, and entertainment provided by "The Leading Ladies," a trio of Broadway actresses, all of whom played the part of Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera." The Ladies sing everything from Broadway classics to the Beatles, and bring their special blend of harmony, fun and class to every occasion. Sponsors are Adrienne and Stanford K. Rubin, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, The DeMeritt Family, and Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreif & Taylor LLP.

For more information on the "Commitment to a Cure" Awards Gala, call Matt Duggan at 323.954.5750x250 or send an e-mail to mduggan@arthritis.org.

Al Pacino, actor and director, is an eight-time Academy Award(R) nominee. He has distinguished himself in more than forty feature films, including movie classics such as "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon," "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II," and "Scent of a Woman," for which he won an Oscar(R) for Best Actor. Mr. Pacino also won an Emmy(R) and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in HBO's award-winning adaptation of "Angels in America." He has garnered numerous industry honors, including awards from the Independent Feature Project, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Foreign Press, the American Cinematheque, and the American Film Institute. In addition to a lifetime of achievement in film and on stage, he recently directed "Salomaybe," an independent documentary on the personal life of Oscar Wilde and his play, "Salome."  He has appeared on Broadway in Salome, Hughie, Chinese Coffee, American Buffalo, King Richard III, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, Camino Real, and Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?

Jane Wyman, who died in 2007, suffered with the pain of arthritis for many years. The award bearing her name was created in 1985. Arthritis is a devastating disease that affects 46 million Americans (1 in 5 adults), including almost 300,000 children. About half of the people affected are under age 65. Arthritis is the second most prevalent chronic disease among adults in America, and affects more adults than heart disease, cancer or diabetes. 

Established in 1948, the Arthritis Foundation is the only national voluntary organization that works on behalf of people with all forms of arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation funds research to find cures and improve care, issues up-to-date information about arthritis and its treatment, and offers exercise and support groups for those with arthritis. For more information, please call 1.800.954.2873 (CURE) or visit www.arthritis.org.