Organizers use 'Dream dates' auction to raise money
Organization also wants people to know about Huntington's Disease
By Lyndsey Teter - SNPOnline

There is a 50 percent chance that Sheri Nash has a fatal, degenerative brain disorder for which there is no treatment or cure. But what pains her more, she said, is that many people have never heard of Huntington's Disease.

With the work of an all-volunteer Central Ohio group, momentum is growing toward awareness, money is being collected for research and, Nash hopes, a cure is on the way.

Nash is president of the Columbus chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America. It hosted a "Dream Date" charity auction Saturday at Coaches Bar and Grill on Bethel Road.

Spirits were high that evening as 30 local bachelors and bachelorettes, complete with extravagant date packages, were auctioned off to the highest bidder. All proceeds go toward research and treatment for individuals living with the disease.

Bachelorette No. 23, Sara Wells, agreed to donate the pleasure of her company Saturday night because she knew the proceeds were going toward a good cause.

"It's a little nerve-wracking," she said of the idea of being "auctioned off," but she remained confident she would enjoy her time and maybe even meet a new friend.

Singles put together a dream date package, and Wells came with a private boat cruise along Buckeye Lake and dinner at Papa Boo's.

Several participants said they were motivated to put themselves out to bid because of an admiration for Nash's father, who was diagnosed with the disease in his late 50s.

Gary Nash, now 60, addressed what soon became an emotional crowd prior to the auction.

"We don't have Michael J. Fox or Montel," for a spokesman, Mr. Nash said of Huntington's Disease, "But we've got me!"

During the auction, bachelorette No. 26 Jennifer Krautzer couldn't refrain from bidding on a young bachelor named Jeremiah.

At the end of the night, Krautzer paid $500 to accompany her date on a weekend trip to Florida.

"I'm spontaneous like that," she said, admitting that she bid on the same bachelor last year, but bowed out when the bids went upward of $650.

"I got him for a steal this year," she joked.

By the end of the night, the group pulled in almost $12,000. But to Sheri Nash, who turned 37 this year, profits weren't the only perk.

"Imagine the number of people who heard the words Huntington's Disease" and may take note in the future, Nash said.

The disease strikes at the prime of life, typically between the ages of 30 and 50, and it slowly robs individuals of their ability to speak, walk and reason. Current estimates suggest 1 in 10,000 people in the United States have the disease.