Award winning actor Jean Smart to join Chris Elliott Fund's board of directors

    SEATTLE, WA, September 30, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jean Smart, Seattle native and Emmy award winning actress, has been named to the board of directors of the Chris Elliott Fund (CEF) for Glioblastoma Brain Cancer Research. CEF is a non-profit organization that works to find a cure for brain cancer.

"We are delighted to have Jean as a member of our board," said Dellann Elliott, President and CEO of the Chris Elliott Fund (CEF). "She has first-hand experience about how this disease impacts families and how critical advanced treatment is for aggressive brain tumors like GBM. Jean brings a greatly needed and vibrant voice to raising awareness about brain cancer."

"It's time to wage war against brain cancer as we do for any other life threatening disease," said Ms. Smart. "The work that CEF does for people like my sister and all brain tumor patients and their families is phenomenal. I am honored to serve on the Chris Elliott Fund's Board of Directors."

As a board member Ms. Smart will be responsible to help drive a strategic plan to support CEF's growth, capacity building, and fundraising efforts. She will also serve as the organization's public spokesperson to raise awareness about brain cancer.

Chris Elliott Fund will host its 8th Annual Gray Ribbon Gala and Benefit Auction, Friday, October 2, The Golf Club at Newcastle, St. Andrews Ballroom, 6 pm. Jean Smart will speak publicly for the first time about her sister's battle with brain cancer and why she believes this is a time of hope for bringing this disease out of the dark.

To register for the event please go to http://www.chriselliottfund.org/content/events/oct_2nd_gray_ribbon_gala.asp

About Jean Smart

Jean Smart, CEF Board Member, Seattle Native, is a star of American film, television, and stage. She is known for her comedic roles, one of the best known being her role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom Designing Women. She has gained critical acclaim for dramatic work, with her portrayal of Martha Logan on 24. Smart most recently appeared as Regina Newly on the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? from 2007 to 2009, which garnered the actress an Emmy Award in 2008.

About CEF

The Chris Elliott Fund for Glioblastoma Research (CEF) is a non-profit organization that raises awareness and funds specifically aimed at taking on brain cancer. CEF has raised more than $1 million for brain cancer research across the country and provides countless resources, information and support to people living with the disease. CEF funds groundbreaking research in the Christopher S. Elliott Neuro-oncology Lab for Glioblastoma Brain Research and Applied Science Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass. The organization also funds the Integrative Patient Support Program at the Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment in Seattle's Swedish Neuroscience Institute. www.chriselliottfund.org

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