DR. ASHRAF ELBANNA speaks during the Go Blue! Go Green! Tailgate Party at the Comstock Inn and Conference Center Friday, Oct. 28. The annual fundraising event is organized and hosted by the Memorial Healthcare Foundation, with proceeds from this year’s event to be used to bring a new procedure to Memorial Healthcare.
Dr. Elbanna explained Friday that, as a result of the fundraiser, the hospital will be implementing an arthroscopic hip procedure, the first of its kind in Shiawassee County. Tickets for the event were $20, and attendees were able to bid on many impressive silent auction items, such as jerseys signed by MSU alums Magic Johnson, Kirk Cousins, Andre Rison, and Denzel Valentine, and Michigan alums Mario Manningham, Dan Dierdorf, and Desmond Howard.
The tailgate party is a competitive fundraiser that pits U of M and MSU supporters against each other in a race to raise the most money for the selected cause. Michigan fans contributed the most at the 2015 competition and repeated again this year, with the two sides combining to raise $25,500.
Dr. Elbanna, who just recently joined the Memorial team, explained hip arthroscopy as “a procedure that allows orthopedic surgeons to diagnose and treat problems within the hip joint without making large incisions through the skin. Hip arthroscopy has been performed for many years, but it is not nearly as common as shoulder or knee arthroscopy, and requires specialized training and additional equipment. We’re seeing more and more hip related problems in our athletes, and by bringing this procedure to Owosso, I hope to offer patients an exciting treatment option that they may not have had access to before.”
Shown behind Dr. Elbanna are the dueling pianists, who entertained the large gathering of football supporters the night before the annual Michigan/Michigan State rivalry football game. Patrick Easley played the keys for the MSU side, while Michael McMahon played for the Michigan supporters. (Independent Photo/Graham Sturgeon)
