Explore Your Hidden Genius at the Foundation's 2008 Annual Fundraising Event

April 10, 2008
Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison

The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation's 2008 fundraising dinner and silent auction will feature will feature a unique opportunity to meet one of the world’s few identified prodigious savants, Kim Peek. Peek has read over 7,600 books and he has 98 percent recall of each one—not to mention a storehouse of facts on subjects ranging from music to history to sports. He’s also developmentally disabled. Although it does not depict his actual life story, Peek inspired the 1988 Oscar winning film, Rain Man.

Kim Peek with Barry Morrow, screenwriter for Rain Man, holding one of the Oscar's awarded for the film. Photo by Richard Green, Salinas, CA.

Kim Peek and his father, Fran, accepted a personal invitation from Wisconsin Medical Society Member and Past-President Darold Treffert, MD, to include the Foundation's event on their 2008 itinerary; they have already presented their message of diversity and acceptance to over 2 million persons in national and international audiences. In addition to Kim's extraordinary abilities, their story is also an inspirational and touching example of unconditional love, which is such a powerful shaping force in all savants. Kim sums it up this way: "My Dad and I share the same shadow."

Dr. Treffert developed a friendship with the Peeks when he served as a consultant on the movie, Rain Man, as an internationally recognized expert on savant syndrome. Since that time, Dr. Treffert has been the essential expert behind the Foundation’s Savant Syndrome Web site. He was instrumental in securing a grant from the Brinson Foundation to significantly upgrade the Web pages, which have evolved into a world-renowned resource on savant syndrome for parents, educators and the medical community.

Dr. Treffert believes that savant syndrome may point toward untapped abilities in everyone. Be sure to mark your calendar for this exceptional opportunity to explore the mysteries of Savant Syndrome and consider the possibility that we may all have such abilities just waiting to be developed.

For more information on Savant Syndrome and Kim Peek, visit www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome.

To receive an invitation for the April 10 event, e-mail jeno@wismed.org or call Jen at 608.442.3745 or toll-free at 866.442.3800.


Click here for the Foundation's 2007 Fundraising Event.