Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Get close to Glenn Close; fundraiser features trip to NY, tour of 'Damages' set

The third annual Dinner Auction of the Karla Smith Foundation on Saturday night will offer a chance to meet and greet a big-time star.

One of the items available at the auction will be a trip to New York to visit with Glenn Close, said Tom Smith, father of the late Karla Smith.

Besides visiting with Close, the winner of the auction will get two nights at the Four Seasons Hotel, airfare, theater tickets, and a tour of the set of Close's television show "Damages."

The dinner auction is a fundraiser for the foundation that the Smith family established after their daughter, Karla, committed suicide after battling bi-polar disorder for seven years.

"Our mission is to help the families and friends of people with mental illnesses," Tom Smith said. "When something like that happens, your life is out of balance. How do you cope with that? We offer support."

He said statistics show that 60 percent to 70 percent of people who suffer from bipolar disorder don't seek treatment because they are afraid of what people will think. The foundation aims to help erase the stigma.

He said Close has family members suffering with mental illness and is actively involved in an Erase the Stigma campaign.

The dinner auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Fountain Conference Center at the Four Points by Sheraton in Fairview Heights, off Illinois 159 north of Interstate 64.

Emily Smith, Tom's daughter-in-law and chairwoman of the event, said there is more than $30,000 worth of merchandise available in the auction, including a trip to south Florida and an Albert Pujols autographed baseball.

Tickets are $40 and are available for a few more days. Register online at www.karlasmithfoundation.org or call 624-0640.

Emily Smith said they have sold more than 250 tickets and can wait only a couple of days before they have to close registration to report an attendance number to the hotel.