St. Joseph Mercy Oakland to Honor Ex-Lions Coach Forzano

Pontiac, MI—St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (SJMO) will honor former Detroit Lions head coach Rick Forzano, Sr., at its annual Fall Spectacular fund raiser 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010, at The Townsend Hotel, 100 Townsend St., Birmingham. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the hospital’s cutting edge technology in its new Surgical Pavilion.

Founder of Rick Forzano Associates, Rick Forzano, Sr., will receive the hospital’s Mercy Legacy Award at the Fall Spectacular.  The award is presented to individuals who support the SJMO mission and charitable causes and volunteer their time in the community.

For many years, Forzano has been an advocate of SJMO and its mission.  He also is the past president of SJMO’s McAuley Club and has recruited many other individuals to provide support to the hospital.

Forzano coached for more than 25 years, prior to starting his agency in 1978.  His coaching career began at the elementary and high school levels and continued at the College of Wooster and Kent State University, both in Ohio; at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and at the University of Connecticut.  He also coached the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Bengals.  During his career, Forzano was a football color analyst with ABC-TV and NBC radio.

Celebrity Chair is Mike Tirico, Monday Night Football play-by-play commentator and ESPN radio and TV announcer.  Guy Gordon, WDIV-Local 4 news anchor is the celebrity emcee.

Honorary Co-Chairs are Richard and Connie Dauch and Dr. Kirit and Malti Patel.  Benefit Chairs are Pam Boutrous, Lynne Portnoy and Nancy Smith.

The 50,000-square-foot Surgical Pavilion opened in fall 2009 with eight state-of-the-art surgical suites and a cystoscopy room.  Hallmarks of the new pavilion are patient care and safety, advanced technology and the incorporation of green processes to reduce waste and water and energy usage.  The Pavilion, which has space to accommodate 12 surgical suites, also will have an enhanced family waiting area scheduled to open this fall.

SJMO has raised more than $2.6 million for its signature community programs and the Surgical Pavilion from the past four Fall Spectaculars.

Dinner will be served, and there will be a dessert afterglow.  The public is invited.  For details and reservations, contact SJMO Donor Relations Manager Joyce Russell at 248-858-6146.