Community organizes annual Tara Bean Valentine's Gala

Volunteers (l to r) Maureen Ruggieri, Bonnie Carelli, Edit Mello (cochair of the gala), Kathleen Keohane, Lisa Tee, Lisa Easson (co-chair of the gala), Laurie Newman and Mary Fischer gather Jan. 16 to make bracelets for the upcoming Tara Bean Valentine's Gala. Bracelets will be available for purchase at the gala or via the website. PHOTO/MARY PRITCHARD Shrewsbury - An extraordinary community has been built by the family, friends and others who were touched by Tara Katherine Bean, a 9-yearold who died eight years ago, just three weeks after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The community began to form after the sudden loss of Tara, in support of her family.

Shortly after Tara's death, her family held a macaroni-and-cheese fund-raising dinner, and Continued from front page more than 600 people attended, raising $19,000 to support research and treatments to help children suffering from brain tumors.

Over time, the main fundcommunity raiser of what would become the Tara Bean Foundation (TBF) evolved into the group's signature event: the Tara Bean Valentine's Gala. According to Tara's mother, Karen L. Bean, February is a significant month because Tara was born in February and Valentine's Day was the last holiday she celebrated. She died Feb. 15, 2000. This year's gala will be held Saturday Feb. 9 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

It seems appropriate for this celebration in honor of Tara's life to be tied to Valentine's Day because the gala is, in Karen Bean's words, "a labor of love." Fifty volunteers work for six months to plan and prepare for the event.

"It is awe-inspiring to me that they [the volunteers] do this because they want to," Karen said. "It's genuine, true friendship and volunteerism, and community. We feel very blessed. [This effort] has helped me with my grief because I've had the opportunity to help others."

Tara's brother, Alex, is very involved in the TBF.

"At 16, Alex recognizes the need for a foundation such as ours," Karen said. "While a cure could be one year away or 30 years away, we're in this for the long run. No matter what it takes, we'll be there to help."

The mission of the TBF is to secure and allocate funds for medical research and treatment advancements. The foundation works toward the goal of helping other children suff ering from brain tumors by supporting research on early detection, causes and advanced treatments at UMass Medical School, UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center and Children's Hospital in Boston.

That research includes RNA interference (RNAi), a gene-silencing mechanism, which was co-discovered by 2006 Nobel Laureate Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., of UMass Medical School.

"While we can't bring Tara back, what we can do is help others," Karen said. "We need to raise awareness and funding to find a cure. RNAi is a mechanism to find a cure and it's right here in Worcester."

This year Gov. Deval Patrick will attend the gala as the recipient of the 2008 Tara Bean Distinction Award. Karen said the governor's Life Sciences Initiative, currently in the State Legislature, would positively aff ect the work Mello is doing at UMass.

The event is open to anyone 21 years or older. Tickets cost $125 per person.

For more information about the gala or the Tara Bean Foundation, visit www. TaraBeanFoundation.org. To purchase tickets to the event, call 508-845-1150.