In Gear

Second Annual Fund-Raiser for the UAB Liver Center

Bobby Allison and Rick Karle

Hueytown, Alabama, racing legend Bobby Allison took the lead at the Zamora Shrine Temple last year—in a race to raise funds for the UAB Liver Center. The second annual Fins, Fenders, and Fun showcased Alabama’s prominence in NASCAR racing and also the efforts of the liver center’s team of researchers, led by director Joseph Bloomer, M.D., toward the treatment and cure of liver disease.

Emceed by Rick Karle of Fox 6 News, the event featured music by Chevy 6, food by The Fish Market, one-of-a-kind collectible cars from the MOB Inc. Car Club, and a live auction. The premier auction item was the NASCAR Need for Speed package: a shotgun ride with Bobby Allison around the Talladega Superspeedway, a Bobby Allison-autographed 1969 Mercury Cyclone collectible car, and two Sprint Cup series tickets to the Aaron’s 499. Other auction items included a luxury Bertolucci women’s wristwatch, two golf and tennis packages at Willow Point on Lake Martin, a Low Country boil for 150 people catered by The Fish Market and Chef George Sarris, and a limousine ride for eight to a progressive dinner at three of Chef Frank Stitt’s restaurants.

“The success of this event is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and community patrons,” Bloomer says. “Their continued support, which we greatly appreciate, allows the center to expand research, improve the quality of patient care, and increase liver disease education.”

Joe Bloomer and Gene Davenport	June and Bobby Allison, Rosemarie and Vincent Bruno, and Vince Bruno

Maintaining the Momentum / Winter 2011