The Fairfield/Westchester Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) unveiled the Bonheim Cup at the 21st Annual Golf & Tennis Tournament to honor long-time supporter and Greenwich Gastroenterologist, Doctor Nelson Bonheim. On September 30th at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, CT, Dr. Bonheim was on-hand to present the cup to this year’s tournament winners and share a few words about CCFA and his work with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in our area.
Bonheim worked to organize the very first CCFA Golf Tournament 21 years ago and has worked closely with the Foundation and IBD patients as a physician with the Center for Gastrointestinal Medicine in Greenwich. Bonheim, who has been an attending physician at Greenwich Hospital since 1975, was one of the founding members of the Fairfield/Westchester Chapter of CCFA over 30 years ago.
In the early years he worked to bring together families affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis while providing information about these lesser known illnesses. Due to his continued efforts in patient education and support these diseases have gained awareness and thousands of patients in our area have access to important medical information about treatment options, medications and scientific breakthroughs. Approximately 70,000 new cases of Crohn’s and colitis are diagnosed each year. Some experts believe IBD is boarding on becoming an epidemic. CCFA is doing all they can to prevent this from happening.
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This year’s Golf & Tennis Tournament also raised a record $314,000 for CCFA. This year’s largest event sponsors include: CheckPoint, Citrix, Dell/Wyse, Fairway, Ladenburg Thalmann, The Seaport Group, Shearman and Sterling, Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, and Tudor Investment Corporation.
Dr. Bonheim will be presenting at an upcoming CCFA education event with his colleague Dr. Neal Schamberg on November 14th from 6:30pm to 8pm at Greenwich Hospital, 5 Perryridge Road. For more information or to register for this free event please call 646-388-9290 or visit online.ccfa.org/treatments13.
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About Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Some 1.4 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.
About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The Foundation ranks third among leading health non-profits in the percentage of expense devoted to research toward a cure, with more than 80 cents of every dollar the Foundation spends going to mission-critical programs. The Foundation consistently meets the standards of organizations that monitor charities, including the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) and the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org).