Dear Friends - National Alopecia Areata Foundation

Public Awareness Efforts
Boundin’ Private Screening
Raises Funds
NAAF’s primary fundraiser for
2004 was a private screening of
the animated short film Boundin’.
Working closely with Pixar Animation
Studios, NAAF was able
to host a benefit on October 16
in San Francisco. The event attracted
all ages and raised about
$22,000.
The Oscar-nominated Boundin’,
currently available on DVD
alongside the feature-length animated
film The Incredibles, tells
the tale of a lamb whose pride
suffers when his lustrous wool
coat is sheared for the first time. It
takes a wise jackalope—a mythical
horn-adorned rabbit—to teach
the forlorn lamb that, wooly or
not, it’s what’s inside that counts.
This message dovetails nicely
with NAAF’s mission to improve
the self-esteem and the public
acceptance of individuals with
alopecia areata, and we were
therefore very excited to have the
opportunity to work with Pixar on
this film’s early introduction.
Boundin’ Release Spurs
Community Awareness Events
Boundin’ and The Incredibles
were released nationwide on November
5, 2004, and many NAAF
support group members and their
families and friends attended their
local premieres to raise awareness.
Below are some of their
experiences.
Chico, California, Family
The Nilsson family from Chico,
California, invited their friends
and family to attend the premiere
of The Incredibles and Boundin’.
Their group totaled 35 people at
the theater, and they all applauded
generously at the conclusion of
the short film. To raise awareness
of alopecia areata, the Nilsson
family wore the “Free to be me”
t-shirts that they had received at
the 2004 NAAF Conference.
Northeast Ohio Support Group
The Northeast Ohio Support
Group members who attended
the opening of Boundin’ and The
Incredibles included Emily Tetzloff
and Stephanie Schroth, both age
6; their moms, Laura and Tammy;
and Cindy Molnar. Poignantly put
in Emily’s words, “It made me sad,
because his (the little lamb’s)
friends made fun of him. It made
me happy when the jackalope
was his friend even though he
didn’t have any hair—like me and
how my friends are.”
Southeast Michigan
Support Group
Twelve members of the Southeast
Michigan Support Group
gathered on November 5 at the
Birmingham Palladium 12 in
Birmingham, Michigan, for the
premieres of Boundin’ and The Incredibles.
The attendees included
Troy Dunbar, age 4, and his mom,
Deborah Dunbar, as well as Patrick
Olmstead, age 6, and his parents,
Paul and Laurie Olmstead. They all
agreed that the short film’s lesson
was an important one. Of course,
for the youngest kids, Boundin’
was just a cute story!
Harrisburg/Hershey,
Pennsylvania Support Group
On November 5, Harrisburg/
Hershey (PA) Support Group
Leader Dee Connelly and group
member Doug Francis drove to
the AMC Theater in Camp Hill to
attend the film’s premiere. “Two
thumbs up!” was the reaction from
these two intrepid movie reviewers.
The short film touched a full
range of emotions within Dee;
she said the lamb’s experience
mirrored her own experience with
alopecia areata. As the little lamb
adapted to his situation and grew
emotionally stronger, Dee could
relate to him, and she noted that
the audience was relating to him
also. By the end of the film, the
lamb is once again boundin’ with
confidence, and Dee could sense
that the audience had learned a
valuable lesson along with the
star of the show.
4 NATIONAL ALOPECIA AREATA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2004