One lucky person will drive off in a 1974 dark green Corvette coupe at the 2010 Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale on January 20th. But the real winner will be the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation (CMCF) for amyloidosis research, as all proceeds from the auction of this Corvette will be donated to the Foundation.

Chip Miller was co-founder of Corvettes at Carlisle and Carlisle Events in Pennsylvania. Chip was very well known and loved in the Corvette community around the country and in March 2004, he passed away from a little known disease called amyloidosis. The Chip Miller Charitable Foundation was formed shortly thereafter to help spread awareness of this disease and raise money for educational and research purposes.

The Foundation's goal is for earlier diagnosis to affect better treatment outcomes. If Chip and his doctors were aware of the symptoms of amyloidosis when they first presented, he might still be with us today. The mission of the CMCF is to empower people with the knowledge and understanding of amyloidosis for earlier detection, ensuring a better quality of life for those afflicted with the disease and to help science find the cures.

The Corvette being auctioned at no reserve at Barrett-Jackson is a 1974 Chevrolet Corvette T-top coupe, with matching numbers, powered by the L48 350cid V8 with a 4-speed manual transmission, 65,000 original miles, factory air conditioning, power steering and power brakes. This Corvette is mostly original and includes owner's books and some trophies and awards from shows this car has won. The car is lot number 414.1 and is scheduled to roll across the block at approximately 7:00 pm Arizona time on January 20, 2010 and will be shown on Speed TV .

This Corvette was generously donated to the CMCF by San Diego Classic and Muscle Cars of Escondido, California. Other sponsors include Mid-America Motorworks , Bowden’s Autobody and Customs of Escondido California, and the C3 Vette Registry for including a 1 year membership to the winning bidder of the car.

Over the weekend, I was elected President of the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation . The charity was founded in 2004 after my friend Lance?s father died from a rare disease called amyloidosis. Chip Miller and his partner Bill founded Carlisle Events many years ago and ran the business together until Chip passed away suddenly in 2004. Today, Lance and Bill?s son Billy have taken the reigns.

In honor of Chip, they created a charitable foundation with two goals: 1) to raise awareness about amyloidosis and 2) to raise funds to help fight the disease.

Michele, Lance?s wife has been the President and has run the Foundation since its inception. Lance and Michele welcomed little Ella Corvette Miller into the world this past February and Michele decided it was time to pass on the Presidency. I am honored and humbled to take on such an important role in building on the success they have achieved. I hope to use my marketing and healthcare experience in spreading the word and finding a cure along with the rest of our amazing Board of Directors .

What is amyloidosis you ask? According to the Mayo Clinic :

• Amyloidosis is a rare and potentially fatal disease that occurs when substances called amyloid proteins build up in your organs. Amyloid is an abnormal protein usually produced by cells in your bone marrow that can be deposited in any tissue or organ.

• Amyloidosis can affect different organs in different people, and there are many types of amyloid. Amyloidosis frequently affects the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.

• Signs and symptoms of amyloidosis depend on the organs affected. The wide range of signs and symptoms often makes amyloidosis difficult to diagnose. You may even have no symptoms.

• Signs and symptoms may include: swelling of your ankles and legs, weakness, weight loss, shortness of breath, numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, diarrhea, severe fatigue, an enlarged tongue (macroglossia), skin changes, an irregular heartbeat, and difficulty swallowing.

Sounds like a lot of other ailments, doesn't it? Which is exactly the problem. Because there are still doctors who aren't familiar enough with this disease, diagnosis is often over looked. We at the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation strive to raise awareness so we can find a cure.

Our goal is to work with the National Amyloidosis Association to make the disease a household name so it can be diagnosed early and lives can be saved.

I will continue to share information about the Foundation and our efforts over the coming months. I hope that you can join us at an event or can donate money to this important cause.

Did you know that every 70 seconds someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease? Chances are, you've been affected by this horrible disease in some way. Come to Corvettes for a Cure to help us raise awareness and funds to fight it.

Corvettes for a Cure is a Corvette show that benefits the Delaware Valley chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. This year, the event will be held on September 13, 2009 in Phoenixville, PA. Here are a few shocking statistics from the Association about the disease:

• As many as 5 million Americans are living with the disease and it is the most common form of dimentia


• In the last 15 years, only FIVE drugs for the disease have been approved by FDA - and they only treat symptoms


• 294,000 people in the Delaware Valley have dementia


• 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's


• The disease costs $89.93 BILLION annually


• It is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Charity work is an important part of my life - and working on our Corvette show is incredibly gratifying. But every time I hear these startling statistics, I wish I could do more. Like many of you reading this, I have friends who have been affected by this disease. So, please, when you're making a decision to give this year, consider giving to the Alzheimer's Association - more than 82 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to support research, programs and services to those living in the Philadelphia region.

We'd love to see you at Corvettes for a Cure - come out to show your Vette or to dream about owning one. Here are a few highlights:

• Indoor craft and jewelry fair
• Roger Girke Band - one of the best blues bands around
• Corvettes from every year - last year there were over 125 in attendance!
• Raffle prizes
• Great food and fun!

If you can't make it, consider still making a donation through our Web site . Last year we raised over $5,000 and we'd like to surpass that this year!