Cancer Society To Honor David Berger, Peggy Gilmore

DANBURY — The American Cancer Society announced this week that Dr David Berger will be the 2004 Spring Charity Ball Honoree on Saturday, April 3, in the Amber Room in Danbury. Peggy Gilmore, a registered nurse at Danbury Hospital, will be the recipient of the Angel Award.

The Charity Ball Honoree is someone who demonstrates exemplary and unfaltering contributions to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. The recipient offers hope and inspiration to everyone he/she comes in contact with and demonstrates undying compassion in the fight against cancer.

Dr Berger, former chief of radiation oncology at Danbury Hospital, recently retired after 30 years of service to the community. During his tenure, he pioneered many new technologies in radiation oncology at the hospital. Most recently he oversaw the department’s acquisition of the latest in radiation therapy, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), a powerful cancer-fighting technology that targets cancer cells while limiting radiation to important normal tissues. He is a resident of Roxbury.

The Angel Award is presented to someone whose allegiance to the fight against cancer has been constant, sincere, and has helped to uphold the values and the mission of the American Cancer Society.

A resident of Bridgewater, Peggy Gilmore has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years, spending 16 of those years with Danbury Hospital. She is credited with launching the Complementary Medicine Program at Danbury Hospital in 1998. The Complementary Medicine Program helps cancer patients and their families enhance their medical care with a variety of nontraditional services that promote well being such as massage therapy, acupuncture, meditation, chiropractics, and Reiki.

The American Cancer Society’s 12th annual Spring Charity Ball will begin at 7 pm on Saturday, April 3, at the Amber Room in Danbury. Tickets are $175 per person or $350 per couple and the event will include a cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and the recognition of both the Angel Award recipient and the Spring Charity Ball Honoree. Last year’s Spring Charity Ball raised more than $60,000 for the American Cancer Society’s programs of service, education, advocacy, and research.

For more information about the Spring Charity Ball or to purchase tickets, call Aimee Zinser at the American Cancer Society office at 203-563-0744, ext 238, or email aimee.zinser@cancer.org.