SUCCESS FOR TRADITION OF HOPE,
ENTERTAINMENT AND TV CELEBS HELP

Honors Presented to Nancy O’Dell and Unified Grocers Exec VP

From left: Michael Johns, Nancy O'Dell, Dmitry Chaplin, Karina Smirnoff, Augie Nieto (front), Lynne Nieto

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22, 2009 — Celebrities and business leaders rallied to raise $740,000 in the fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) as they united to support Augie’s Quest, an initiative with the Muscular Dystrophy Association to combat the disease, at the fourth annual Tradition of Hope Gala in Beverly Hills on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Nancy O’Dell, co-anchor of entertainment news show “Access Hollywood,” was presented with the first-ever Augie’s Quest Champion for ALS Award in honor of her outstanding efforts to help raise funds and awareness about the disease that claimed her mother in June 2008. Augie’s Quest is an initiative named for fitness industry leader Augie Nieto, who’s been fighting the disease since 2005.

The night consisted of dinner, dancing, awards presentations, and silent and live auctions. Special performances included ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” dancers Karina Smirnoff and Dmitry Chaplin, and a song from season seven “American Idol” finalist Michael Johns.

Other entertainment and sports celebrities at the event included:  television host and reporter Jann Carl, who served as emcee; “Days of Our Lives” star and host of the hit reality series “The Biggest Loser” Alison Sweeney; “Access Hollywood” correspondent Shaun Robinson; television star Josie Davis; model Jamie Hilfiger; and more.

A special congratulatory video message from actor Jamie Foxx to O’Dell was shown.

Unified Grocers Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Procurement Officer Phil Smith was awarded with the MDA Augie’s Quest Humanitarian Award for his efforts in raising awareness for ALS.

“Words can't describe the warmth that Lynne and I felt at the gala on Saturday.  The Tradition of Hope continues to be a magical and heartfelt event. We are grateful to Nancy O'Dell, Phil Smith and the ALS community for supporting our quest,” Nieto said.

Honorees and celebrities alike all were drawn to the ALS cause by Nieto, former president of Life Fitness.  In the four and a half years since his diagnosis, Nieto has become a champion to the friends, families and individuals affected by this devastating disease. He has led the effort to raise and invest more than $20 million since 2006.

ALS is a disease of the motor neurons — the muscle-controlling nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. It ultimately causes complete paralysis while leaving mental functions intact. Survival is typically three to five years after diagnosis, without assistive technologies such as mechanical ventilation and feeding tubes. Affecting more than 30,000 Americans, ALS is still not fully understood, and no cure exists. MDA maintains the world’s largest privately funded program to combat ALS. For more information about Augie’s Quest, visit www.augiesquest.org.

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research.  The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.