Pudge Rodriguez will be special guest at Crohns and Colitis Foundation dinner

The North Texas Chapter of the Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America will feature former Texas Rangers star Ivan Pudge Rodriguez as its special guest at a dinner this week.

The chapters third annual fundraising dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Belo Mansion in Dallas.

Rodriguez, a fan favorite in his 13 seasons playing for the Rangers, will be interviewed on stage by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Rodriguez, a 14-time All-Star catcher who is in the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame, earned 13 Rawlings Gold Gloves as a catcher, including 10 in a row from 1992-2001. Rodriguez is now special assistant to the general manager for the Rangers.

At the dinner, the North Texas Chapter of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation will give out three awards:

Dr. Gary Morchower will get the Lifetime Achievement Award. He started the chapter 35 years ago and is still practicing as a pediatrician.

Annette Cox is the groups Volunteer of the Year. She has raised more than $25,00 through the chapters half-marathon endurance training program. She also serves on the North Texas Leadership Board. Coxs devotion to the cause is driven by her 11-year-old son, Gavin, who is living with Crohns disease.

Tariq Washington-Walker of Duncanville will get the Rising Star Award. The 17-year-old has battled Crohns since age 11. This summer, he attended Camp Oasis, a co-ed residential camp for children with Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis.

Tickets to the dinner start at $200, and the money raised will support research, education and support programs. Visit online.ccfa.org/thirdannualdinner or call 972-386-0607.

The chapter explained that Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis affect 1 in 200 people, and they are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system. Most people diagnosed with these diseases begin to develop symptoms between 15 and 35, and the incidence is rapidly increasing in children.

To learn more about the Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America, visit ccfa.org or facebook.com/ccfafb, call 888-694-8872 or follow the group on Twitter at twitter .com/ccfa and twitter.com/takesteps.

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Pudge Rodriguez will be special guest at Crohns and Colitis Foundation dinner