Project 3000 Fundraiser

I'm sure you all remember, as I do, the tearful news conference Derrek Lee held in September 2006 when he first discovered that his daughter Jada had Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, a disease that will eventually blind her.

As D-Lee himself told those of us assembled for a fundraiser last night in Scottsdale, when he and his wife Christina saw Dr. Edwin Stone at the Carver Center at the University of Iowa to find out what sort of treatments were available for Jada, he also said, "What can we do to help?"

Of that question was born Project 3000, which aims to identify the 1-in-100,000 (of the USA's 300 million people, that would make 3000, thus the name) people who have this disease, then eventually find a cure. The project also aims to help find treatments for other eye diseases, including macular degeneration, which affects about one-third of all people over age 75, and retinitis pigmentosa.

Dr. Stone gave a lengthy presentation in which he noted, correctly, that if he had held a news conference about this, two people would have attended, and at least one of those would have been there by accident. But if Derrek Lee held one, it would get national attention. This is the way that professional athletes and other celebrities can get attention for worthy causes, and in D-Lee's case, it's extremely personal because it affects his daughter (who was not at the fundraiser).

In addition to donations, there was a silent auction of various items ranging from a "Cubs experience" in New York this September, to jewelry, to a week-long vacation at some swanky private residences in places like Cabo San Lucas, Paris and Florence.

All of which were too pricey for me; however, Mitch Beckman, director of development for Project 3000, expressed his gratitude to me for the $1450 I gave on behalf of all of you last night. Thanks also to BCB reader love the ivy, who generously donated one of her two T-shirts, which I presented to D-Lee, and which you see in the photo above. I had a brief talk with Derrek, told him where the shirt and money came from and wished him good luck this season. He and Christina were grateful for your generosity.

As am I. The generosity of time given by everyone involved in putting together the T-shirt project, and generosity of spirit and money given in the pledges that I presented last night, is something I know the people involved in Project 3000 genuinely appreciated.

I'll have a game thread up in a couple of hours.