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Lori Wolf House to be Centerpiece of New Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center
AURORA, Colo. (Oct. 3, 2005) — Following the death of their daughter, Lori, Elaine Wolf and her late husband, Melvin, became determined to find a way to support those trying to kick alcohol and chemical dependencies. The family envisioned a safe place for patients embarking on the life-changing journey of rehabilitation. In addition, the haven they imagined would have to offer support programs to family and friends lending quiet encouragement behind the scenes.
Now, thanks to a half-million-dollar gift from Elaine Wolf, the family's vision soon will become reality with the creation of the Lori Wolf House, a support building that will play an integral role at the University of Colorado Hospital's new Center for Dependency and Addiction Rehabilitation (CeDAR).
Scheduled to open on Nov. 1, CeDAR will be a 50-bed residential evaluation and treatment facility for adults struggling to overcome chronic alcohol and drug dependencies, and will be part of the Anschutz Centers for Advanced Medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital. The newly renovated Lori Wolf House, formerly the Commander's House at Fitzsimons, will be used for alumni functions, a peer-to-peer program, meetings and other CeDAR events. The structure itself is one of the oldest in Aurora.
"All we want is for anyone who comes through those doors to be helped," Elaine Wolf said. "We want to make sure other families will benefit along the way."
An affiliate of the prestigious Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., CeDAR will be unique to the Rocky Mountain region and will operate under the leadership of an executive director, Franklin Lisnow, and a medical director from the University of Colorado School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Robert J. Harmon.
Joyce Cashman, interim president of the University of Colorado Hospital, called the new center a state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation facility that would have a powerful impact on the lives of Colorado families struggling with the effects of drug and alcohol addictions.
"The Lori Wolf House will stand as a symbol of the strength and dignity the Wolf family has shown in the face of their personal challenges," Cashman added. "It is with a deep sense of respect and remembrance that we extend our gratitude to Lori's family for their gift as well as the hope their support will inspire in our patients and their families."
The Victorian-style Lori Wolf House stands in a shaded area on the west side of the Fitzsimons campus next to the new CeDAR buildings, which were built in a redwood, alpine style reminiscent of several of Colorado's Rocky Mountain resort hotels.
The $14 million CeDAR project will serve as University of Colorado Hospital's main treatment center for patients confronting addiction and dependency struggles. The center will feature courtyards, ponds, paths and trails for exercise and meditation, and its secluded location will provide patient privacy and easy access to the Anschutz Centers for Advanced Medicine.
The center's ambience was designed to provide a comforting, safe place for patients and their families to reflect on how drugs and alcohol have affected their lives. Within the halls of the new treatment facility, patients will receive comprehensive treatment that will enable them to recuperate in a nurturing environment.
Other amenities will include a dining hall, fitness center, library, and a small store for patients. The CeDAR site once was a tree plantation, and many of the existing orchards and old-growth trees will be preserved in a nod to Fitzsimons' historic landscape.
For more information about CeDAR, visit the Web site at www.CeDARColorado.org.
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region's leading academic tertiary care and referral center, and has been recognized as one of the United States' best hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report. Located in Denver and Aurora, Colo., the hospital is part of the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, in the University of Colorado system. For more information, visit the Web site at www.uch.edu.