Chapter and Support Group News From Around the Country.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ATAXIA SUPPORT GROUP

Map # 34 Leoder: Rosey Wu by H. Deon Torres

Since our last report In the Winter Issue of Generations the Northern California Ataxia Support Group has had two well-attended quarterly meetings. In addition, a large contingent from our Group attended the National Ataxia Foundation's (NAF) Annual Meeting in Costa Mesa. Following is a summary of these events as well as planned future events.

The Northern California Ataxia Support Group held its Winter meeting on Saturday, January 9, 1999, in the recreation hall of Our Savior's Lutheran Church In Lafayette, California. This meeting was attended by 51 members who came to share the giving and caring spirit of the Holiday Season with each other, as well as to hear an outstanding presentation on gene therapy.

Our guest speaker was Dr. David Wilson III, Senior Biomedical Scientist of the Molecular and Structural Biology Division at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Wilson's speech focused on DNA repair and the state of research in this area. Mixing his remarks, which were presented in layman's terms, with humor (he assured us that even though he looked like he was 19 years old, he was really 29), Dr. Wilson kept his audience interested and involved:

Over twenty members of the Northern California Ataxia Support Group attended the Annual Meeting of NAF in Costa Mesa. We used this opportunity to recognize the strong support that our Group has received over the past five years from the NAF headquarters staff. At the Saturday evening banquet, Helen Torres (founder and our first Support Group Leader), her husband, James, Rocio Wu (current Group Leader) and her husband, Fernando, presented Donna Gruetzmacher, NAF Executive Director, a check for $500 from our Support Group to NAF along with a Letter of Commendation. Later, we received a nice "Thank You" letter from NAF President, DeNiece Roach, informing us that the $500 donation would be used for ataxia research.

We held our Spring Quarterly meeting on Saturday, April 10th, at our normal meeting place In Lafayette, CA. Forty one members traveled through threatening weather to share a few valuable hours with each other. As usual, we had a nice "mix and mingle" period, then a scrumptious lunch prepared and served by Ellie Anderson, one of our hardest working, most dependable members.

Following lunch, Fernando Wu, who presided over the meeting, conducted a short business meeting, including a …