Lifedoc Health – Memphis Flyer

A total of $231,000 was raised at this year’s Healthier Memphis Gala presented by Lifedoc Health.

And $48,000 of that was raised at the live auction.

**Gary and Barb Meloni, Kert and Abbey Kaise**

The event, held January 31st at the old Summit Club space at the top of Clark Tower, provided a tasty way for guests to support Lifedoc Health’s work. Fifteen Memphis chefs provided the fare for guests, many of whom wore Gatsby-like attire — flapper dresses and tuxedos — from that other Twenties decade. “Our Roaring 20th: A Speakeasy Soirée” was the event theme.

**John Adamstown, Tom Hughes, and**
**Jaksen Pounders**

**Kelly English, Fatou and Bala Tounkara**

According to its website, the mission of Lifedoc Health is “to build healthier communities by preventing diabetes through healthcare and research.”

As the invitation reads, “All proceeds will support Lifedoc’s investment in research and policy to transform healthcare for Memphis’s most underserved communities.”

If you missed the Memphis Food and Wine Festival last October, you could get a taste of what you missed at the Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala,” held March 23rd at 409 South Main Street.

Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala” at 409 South Main (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Chefs who participated in the earlier festival at Memphis Botanic Garden — along with others — took part in last week’s gala. In addition to great food, lots of great people were on hand.

Jose Gutierrez, chef/owner of River Oaks restaurant as well as Memphis Food and Wine Festival co-founder, was instrumental in gathering chefs for the event.

Jose Gutierrez and Stephen Leake at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

David and Amanda Krog and their daughter, Doris, manned the Dory restaurant booth, where they served braised short ribs with aerated potato, chicken demi glace, fried shallots, and thyme. It was delicious.

David, Amanda, and Doris Krog at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Ditto for the caramelized salmon with cauliflower from Emily LaForce at the River Oaks station.

Emily LaForce at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

And more ditto for Ryan Trimm’s lobster bruschetta with fennel, dill, lemon honey, and pistachio. Trimm is owner of 117 Prime and Sunrise Memphis.

Ryan Trimm and Jake Smith at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Well, actually, ditto for everything I ate. Including a special ditto for Franck Oysel’s black forest cake with vanilla bean, chantilly, griottes, and chocolate mousse. I ate two or three of those. Oysel is with the Flight Restaurant Group.

Franck Oysel at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

The gala also included a live auction, which featured suite seats for the Memphis Grizzlies/Orlando Magic game on March 28th, rare cigars, a wine tasting, and a piece of artwork from LaForce, who is a visual artist as well as a chef.

Other artwork included a custom piece from Gabriel Velasquez.

Gabe’s 18-month-old son, Chet, did the bidding for his dad on a custom-tailored Ermenegilda Zegna suit from Oak Hall. Gabe got the suit.

Bill Ganus with Chet and Gabriel Velasquez at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Terri Walker was auctioneer.

Lifedoc Health came about after Gabe’s brother, Pedro Velasquez Jr. was diagnosed with leukemia more than 20 years ago. Their parents, Drs. Pedro and Astrid Velasquez, who had just completed their fellowships at Harvard Medical School, moved to Memphis from Caracas, Venezuela, to put Pedro Jr. in St. Jude. According to the event program, they “made a plea to God that their son be spared. One year later, these prayers were answered, as Pedro Jr. made an unbelievable recovery and entered his second remission.”

Pedro “made an enduring commitment to the city that granted his son a second chance.”

“What started as a weekly, single-room clinic, seeing only 19 patients a month at UT’s College of Nursing is now among Tennessee’s largest private practices in terms of patient volume. Since transitioning to a non-profit in 2020, Lifedoc has made great strides in its mission to build healthier communities, with Pedro Jr. as its executive director.”

Pedro Velasquez Jr., Andres Velasquez, Pedro Velasquez, and Fanny Rodriguez at Lifedoc Health “Healthier Memphis Gala.” (Credit: Michael Donahue)

The gala “couldn’t have been better,“ Gabe says. “Everything was beautiful. Looked well done. The food was off the charts.”

The event raised $180,000 to help build a new multi-speciality outpatient facility to focus on diabetes and obesity in East Memphis. “It was a good night,” Gabe says.

The last part of Pedro Jr.’s speech got to him, Gabe says. “Where he said, ‘We’ve taken a page out of St. Jude’s model, striving to cure diabetes through prevention in Memphis, then in the state of Tennessee, then to the nation, and then hopefully the world.’ It had me fired up.”

In addition to helping their patients, they also want to “help pave the way for what others do,” Pedro Jr. says. “Like St. Jude. By helping our patients, we can find out what works. That way we can help other clinics and organizations around the world. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital helps thousands of patients every year, but impacts millions across the world through the protocols that they share.”

The Soul Shockers performed.