Louis Zamperini Shook Hands with Hitler, Was Tortured at Japanese POW Camp; Will Share His Message of Forgiveness and Hope.

1. Louis Zamperini W W II POW, 1936 U.S. Olympian Headlines Lazarex Cancer Foundation Event
September 29 On U.S.S. HORNET
Louis Zamperini Shook Hands with Hitler, Was Tortured at Japanese POW Camp; Will
Share His Message of Forgiveness and Hope.
Alameda, CA (USA), Sept 08, 2012 -- Louis Zamperini, a 95-year-old best selling author and
motivational speaker, will share his extraordinary life story and his message of forgiveness and
hope when the Lazarex Cancer Foundation ( https://lazarex.ejoinme.org/USSHornetGala ) of
Danville holds its annual fundraiser gala on the U.S.S. Hornet on Sept. 29 at 707 Hornet Dr., Pier
3 in Alameda.
Zamperini is one of the last surviving members of the 1936 U.S. Olympic team for the Berlin
games. He finished eighth in the 5,000 meter run, but his last quarter-mile split of 56 seconds
caught the attention of Adolph Hitler, who insisted upon meeting Zamperini. The pair shook
hands, and before the end of the games Zamperini seized the opportunity to steal a Nazi flag off
of the Chancellery wall under the noses of Nazi guards.
A few years later Zamperini was serving as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps when his plane
crashed into the Pacific. He became a Japanese POW and was tortured for three years. The
United States listed him as missing in action, and a year later as dead, before his liberation at the
end of the war. In 1950 he met his captors and hugged each of them while explaining his life
philosophy.
“Louis Zamperini’s message of hope and personal perseverance under the most trying
circumstances is a perfect match for our mission of providing hope and time to late stage cancer
patients and their families,” said Lazarex founder and President Dana Dornsife. Since its founding
in 2007, Lazarex has helped more than 100 patients find FDA-approved clinical trials and then
paid for travel and lodging for those trials which can be anywhere in North America. These
treatments have helped add months or even years to people for whom conventional medicine has
no treatment. Some patients are now in remission.
“We’ve helped people enjoy one more Christmas, one more Little League season, or even make
it to their daughter’s wedding,” Dornsife said. “We believe that the size of one’s checkbook should
have no bearing on the length or quality of their life.”
The gala will be much more than a sumptuous meal and a unique and memorable speaker.
Guests will be entertained during the cocktail hour by a group called The Swingin’ Blue Stars, four
Blue Star Moms singing Andrews Sisters-style tunes. After dinner JamFunkShus will regale
guests with danceable numbers from the 60s to the 90s.
Casino games will be available throughout the evening along with both a live and silent auction.
Prizes include travel packages, deluxe wine country junkets, catered dinners, and fine jewelry.
Well known in CA, Italian crooner tribute duo Wallin and Baretta, ardent Lazarex supporters, will
be attending the gala. Stay tuned for other celebrity guest announcements.
Tickets to the Lazarex Battle for a Lifetime are $350 per person and can be purchased at
https://lazarex.ejoinme.org/USSHornetGala . Dress is cocktail attire.
“Every dollar we raise helps provide hope for people who have been told they have none,”
Dornsife said. “We believe our guests will have a great time, hear some inspirational messages,
and leave the event knowing they have helped extend the quality of life for some folks in very
difficult situations.”
Press & Media Contact:
Karen Ambrogi

2. Lazarex Cancer Foundation
Alameda, CA - USA
925-820-4517
Karen@lazarex.org
https://lazarex.ejoinme.org/USSHornetGala