Lace up for a race in the name of cystic fibrosis.
If you don’t know Raleigh philanthropist Pete Proimos personally, you definitely know someone who does—or someone who knows someone who does. That’s according to Lewis Lovell, a captain in the Raleigh Fire Department, and Nemanja Savic, former pro golfer turned teacher.
Come December, Lovell and Savic are showing up for Proimos in a big way, running 104.8 miles to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis, a disease Proimos both battles and raises awareness for.
Running four marathons in four days clearly isn’t for everyone, but the community can still support the cause by lacing up for the Lung Run, a fun run chasing a brighter future for CF patients Dec. 14 at Fenton.
Three years ago, Proimos took on a heartfelt venture and founded the Filotimo Foundation, a nonprofit raising awareness and providing resources for people with cystic fibrosis. Named after a kindness-forward Greek philosophy, the foundation revolves around an MO to do what is right, compassionate and generous—no strings attached. Proimos kept his CF diagnosis a secret for most of his life, but a few years into the project, he stopped hiding.
The day Proimos revealed his diagnosis, Savic said he knew something was up. “I don’t think he could have held it in any longer,” reminisces Savic. “We sat down and he said, ‘Okay, so, I’m sick.’”
Around the same time, Lovell and Savic were looking for their next physical challenge. They’d been running together for over a decade—first neighborhood jogs, then full-on marathons. With social media runners as their inspo, they landed on a bold idea: run 100 miles in marathon-sized chunks.
Enter the aforementioned Lung Run, the Filotimo Foundation’s second major event. From Dec. 10–14, Lovell and Savic will tackle a marathon a day, finishing strong with a fun run where locals can hop in for laps—and earn swag along the way. Afterward, the foundation is throwing down in Fenton, with food and drinks, vendors, and a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus and company.
While raising awareness remains top priority, Lovell has a more personal stake going into the Lung Run—to show support for his friend. “At the end of it, Proimos feels like we’re right behind him, that we’re fighting alongside him,” remarks Lovell. Even before race day, the Lung Run is making waves, as partners in Detroit and virtual teams across the country gear up for their own solidarity runs. So strap on your running shoes and gear up to take a lap for CF. filotimofoundation.org
Living far beyond the lifespan he was promised, a Raleigh local now faces a different kind of fight—and is using his second chance to help others facing the complex reality of survival and create a life worth living.
If you met 40-year-old Pete Proimos on the street, you’d never guess he was told he wouldn’t make it to 19. Yet here he is. “It’s a huge mindset shift,” he acknowledges. “Going from ‘let me live as long as I can because I’m dying’ to ‘let me live as long as I can because I can—and I want to.’”
It’s hard to hear Proimos recount a life where the simple act of sucking in a breath feels like drowning. Never mind navigating nearly twice as many years as anyone predicted—or planned for. The latter embodies the very significant struggle of the roughly 40K adults, like Proimos, living with cystic fibrosis. But how to live with CF isn’t a blessing—or a problem—any of them expected to have.
Pete Proimos with his father, courtesy of The Filotimo Foundation
Growing up in Goldsboro as the son of first-generation Greek immigrants, Proimos’ pain wasn’t apparent. Living his CF diagnosis in secret, then dubbed the “child-killing disease,” he didn’t want to be seen as weak or sickly. Raised on grit, his folks navigated meager means, language barriers and a lack of formal education in Gary, Indiana, before relocating here for UNC Health. The poster child for the American dream, his dad would go on to found the biggest manufacturing company in JoCo—and, to passersby, Proimos led a charmed life, but, behind closed doors, every breath was a battle, every day carrying the weight of a ticking clock.
CF affects everything,” he laments. “Besides your mental health, CF attacks your lungs, your pancreas”—any organ with a tube to your throat (read: your stomach, lungs, liver, kidneys)—creating a rampant thick, sticky plug-causing mucus that makes it feel impossible to breathe or effectively get nutrients. Never mind the persistent cough that makes you feel like a walking biohazard exposing everyone to a presumed nasty cold. “It’s really, really hard on the body,” he adds. … “Although we look very healthy on the outside, there’s a war going on inside.”
Now, thanks to modern medicine and advancements to overcome breathing barriers, the projected lifespan of 19 has skyrocketed to 65. But for those, like Proimos, born between 1970 and 1990 who defied expectations to live well into their 30s and 40s, it’s a constant struggle to find purpose and feel whole—to balance gratitude with the realities of financial stability, food and fertility.
The grim reality is those meds come at a premium cost. The very “miracle drug” that fixes defective lung genetics and enables the ability to breathe presents a laundry list of other complications. While, say, 30% lung capacity qualifies for disability, better lung function means that eligibility vanishes. … “How is that?” he insists. “How would that ever be OK?” Add to that any sort of financial independence in a world where you wouldn’t have made plans to go to college or start a family—because presumed dead by 19.
It’s the worst kind of catch-22: struggling to reconcile staying alive when you haven’t been set up to live well. Die without the life-saving medication, or live a life you can’t afford with no sense of purpose. “I never want somebody to think ‘I should get off of medication’ because they need to go back on disability to survive,” he says. “I have to help and support these patients in the middle that are in limbo… in purgatory.”
So he’s made it his personal mission to reach all people born in those two fateful decades to “piss on that,” he asserts. “I don’t care what the program is. I don’t care what the hurdles are. I’ll break it. Every dollar I have personally will go toward fixing this thing that’s broken.” Enter Proimos’ Filotimo Foundation. Embodying the kindness-forward Greek philosophy Filotimo for which it’s named, the organization lives and dies by an MO to do what is right, compassionate and generous, no ego and no strings attached.
Spiritus founders courtesy of Filotimo Foundation
After a pivotal 2022 appointment, Proimos’ doctor introduced him to former CF nonprofit Spiritus, whose founders’ daughter Jessica tragically passed away from CF a decade earlier. Before her passing, Jessica made them promise to care for adults living with CF “because they’re not recognized for the real-life problems they have.” The issue? Lacking the backing it needed to continue, Spiritus was winding down, he recalls. “And I thought, ‘Well, this might be it—this might be why I’m here. I don’t know, but I’m gonna give it a good shot in 2023.’”
On the “healthier side” of CF and with funds to spare, Proimos was—and is—well-positioned to do just that… for now. Except at the jump, no one knew he had CF. “It was tough,” he recalls of how acquaintances or potential foundation partners would react, unaware he was battling a terminal disease since being diagnosed at 5 months old. “‘What the hell? Why is it connected to you?’ And I would say, ‘Oh, I have a family member who has it.’”
Realizing he had hidden for too long, Proimos was 39 when he finally uttered the words aloud. “It was like sparks blew in the person’s eyeballs,” he remembers. “And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s the connection I have to talk about now.’” Now, every time he tells his story, it’s “How can I help?”
Since then, his foundation has flourished, primarily attacking the limbo via two crucial pathways: to financial freedom and to having a family. Already having distributed $400K+ in direct aid—think tuition, rent, mortgage payments, fertility treatments, copays and utility bills—Proimos says hardship assistance and fertility support top the list of needs for the community, accounting for 53% and 47% of every foundation dollar spent, respectively.
Creating a customized pathway to employment and financial independence, ally Wake Tech provides a flexible selection of job training, classes, certifications, licensing and two-year degrees to empower adults living with CF to build a sustainable life at their own pace and in their own community—so they don’t have to remain on disability or sacrifice education and/or health.
And further paving the way to purpose is the foundation’s partnership with Atlantic Reproductive Medicine, tackling CF-related infertility head-on by retrieving sperm otherwise wiped out by congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). “That’s the loneliest thing anyone can go through,” bemoans Proimos. “But, with men, the issue of infertility can be 100% fixed with money. The disease can be eliminated just with money.”
Courtesy of Filotimo Foundation
Courtesy of Filotimo Foundation
Courtesy of Filotimo Foundation
Today’s genetic screening takes out the guesswork—if the mother doesn’t carry CF, her child won’t either. If she is a carrier, science steps in—testing sperm and eggs post-retrieval to pick the healthy ones and wipe out CF for good. The groundbreaking approach has already made a tangible impact, as the foundation helped families welcome eight healthy babies last year alone.
Rounding out the promising partnerships is UNC Health—the very place that inspired Proimos’ childhood migration to the Triangle. “The doctors and the social workers have not only kept me alive, they’ve supported me in adulthood in a way that maybe family couldn’t. They’ve really helped me understand my health and who I am as a person on this journey of starting and having a family.”
While Proimos is rightfully proud of the pathways the foundation has paved, he has his sights set much further down the road: “I hope—and I’m manifesting—one day people from around the country will come to partner with us and they’ll need to come to Raleigh, North Carolina, to do so,” he muses of making the Filotimo Foundation the national leader in adult cystic fibrosis support. “Raleigh is the roots and it will always be the roots.”
And he doesn’t need anyone’s money. “My whole background has been in the automotive world,” he explains. “We had two really nice liquidity events that have supported this foundation for the last two years, and we’ll continue to do so. What I need is to get awareness out so we can help those 40,000 patients in the U.S. who are adults with CF as fast and efficiently as possible.” And time is of the essence. While 65 is miles down the road, the clock is ticking for quality of life, giving him roughly six years of viability. It all hinges on sparking conversations and driving partnerships that could wipe out this disease. For too long, CF has been left out of the conversation. That is, until now.
Pete Proimos with his family, courtesy of the Filotimo Foundation
We asked five local experts—from a music industry veteran to a celebrated actress to a hospitality expert—to name their top five must-attend events this year. Here’s what they came up with… You can also see RM’s picks for some of our favorite events!
See: Lauren Kennedy Artistic Director of Theatre Raleigh
The talented actress who starred on Broadway in “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Les Miserables” and alongside Glenn Close in “Sunset Blvd” returned home to Raleigh to present professional theater in a more intimate setting. Though she’s often busy with her own productions—this summer Theatre Raleigh debuts “Rock of Ages”— she also enjoys seeing cultural performances across the city. Here are a few of her favorites, including films, plays and dance performances.
Big-screen movie magic under the stars has been a Triangle staple for over 20 years. Originally created with a projector in the back of a truck and a fabric screen over the side of the building, it has grown to its permanent home inthe Joseph M. Bryan Jr Theatre in the Museum Park.Showing everything from family-friendly to Oscar® winning movies, it’s the perfect way to spend a night out with family or friends.Spread out a blanket or a low lawn chair and enjoy a picnic and excellent view while under the stars.I love to make a night of it and go early to grab a glass of wine, see some of the museum’s permanent collection, or walk the museum park trail before the movie.
Downrange:Voices from the Homefront by Raleigh Little Theatre
It’s a new play that captures how military spouses in the post 9/11 era face and overcome the challenges of repeated deployments. It is an honest, raw, funny and inspiring look at the profound strength and resilience of our nation’s military families. Written by Chapel Hill playwright Mike Wiley, the story is topical and close to my heart as a native North Carolinian. Mike is such an amazing playwright who writes with such raw emotion and passion while shedding light on difficult
Photograph by 20/20photo-video.com
issues. We had the opportunity to work with him on “Blood Done Sign My Name” and know the depth and breadth that this show will include.
Rhapsody in Blue by the Carolina Ballet
April 20-23 | carolinaballet.com
I am looking forward to seeing George Gershwin’s epic American masterpiece “Rhapsody in Blue” re-imagined by Carolina Ballet’s Choreographer in Residence, Zalman Raffael.It is such a wonderful piece that will transport you to a world that only the Carolina Ballet can imagine.Anytime I have worked with them I can’t help but be in awe of the beauty and strength of their performances.I plan to take my daughter, Riley, and have a girl’s day at the ballet.
I am particularly excited to be working with my childhood friend, Liz McDonald, who is the GM of Koka Booth.This is going to be a hilarious no-holds-barred rollicking good time! “Rock of Ages” takes you back to the late ‘80s, the time of big guitar solos, spandex, headbands and big hair.I can’t wait to relive my high school days with this Broadway musical that features arena-rock songs from Styx, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more.My theatre company is joining forces with Koka Booth Amphitheatre to bring this absurdly funny show to life in a perfect venue for this performance.Live theater outdoors is like no other—it’s relaxed, casual and communal in a way that indoor shows can’t duplicate. Don’t stop believin’—we are ready for the final countdown!
Directed by one of my favorite directors as well as favorite people, NC native Eric Woodall.Eric’s talent transcends genres, and he brings a special energy to everything that he touches.He directed our critically acclaimed show “The Light in the Piazza” at the NCMA last year, and I look forward to seeing the magic he will undoubtedly create with “Gypsy.”The musical is loosely based on the memoir of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her overbearing stage-mother, Rose. It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life.Since I began my acting career at NCT, I enjoy returning to see my friends and to support the arts based in our community.The arts are so important for us to preserve—all the actors, musicians and techs learn discipline and teamwork, and the audience responds in an emotional way to live action that’s fundamentally different from digital entertainment.
Hear: Dave Rose President of Deep South Entertainment
You might know Rose, a music industry veteran, from his popular Oak City 7 or as the owner of Deep South The Bar. This summer, he is launching a new summer music series at Dorthea Dix Park. Stay tuned and, in the meantime, find out which events the music insider considers noteworthy.
The elements of Out! Raleigh are far more reaching than that of just music. It’s a very community driven event, but it also has very diverse music, ranging from local indie rock bands to solo performers. They put the stage up in the middle of Fayetteville, and the entire block from the Capitol to Memorial is closed off. It’s a fairly new event to Raleigh and for me, during a time when theLGBT community is having its share of challenges, I love that we as a city have such an enormous festival that surrounds the community. Music can bring us all together.
Artsplosure is Raleigh’s perfect mix of visual and performance art.It brings the community together, all with the purpose of celebrating art. It does a great job at introducing the community to new music as well—acclaimed national artists alongside some of North Carolina’s best talent.It’s a combination of stage performances as well as some street performances.It’s unquestionably a festival where there’s something for everyone.
Hopscotch attracts national and international attention. It does a good job of showcasing all the music venues in Raleigh. We have 85 live music venues in and around Raleigh. For the size of this city, we have more music venues than most. Hopscotch utilizes those downtown venues. You buy a wristband and that’s the premise behind the name, you hop from venue to venue and experience new music. It’s a good chance for the community to experience everything from Red Hat Amphitheatre to small 100-person venues.
It’s the biggest mostly free event in Raleigh. There are some ticketed elements to it but it’s a massive festival and brings over 100,000 people downtown. It is the International Bluegrass Music Association conference, and people come from all over the world. This event was in Nashville prior to coming to Raleigh, so it’s a testament to our city that we can play in the same sandbox with what is considered one of the biggest music cities in the world.
We’re the only state in the country that features all and only music from their home state at the fair. That’s national news right there. We support our musicians and the arts. It always made sense to me that you could learn everything you need to know about North Carolina there and music should be one of those things. This music festival is designed to showcase existing talent but also discover new talent. There are over 100 concerts.
Do: Jennifer Martin Executive Director of Shop Local Raleigh
Martin’s job is to promote everything local—local food, local products, local events—so she knows a thing or two about citywide events worth attending. She’s also the founder of Brewgaloo, one of the organization’s most popular yearly events, featuring more than 90 food trucks, local breweries and live bands. She couldn’t help but include it on her list of some of the best city events.
I love everything happening at Midtown from Beach Music, Wellness Wednesdays, Friday Night tribute and the farmer’s market. The farmer’s market is more than just your typical market.There’s live music, they have food trucks, there’s cooking competitions. They have food sampling, local vendors and a sense of community.While it isn’t just a one-day or weekend event, but multiple events, I love that it’s another family-friendly, outdoor event that’s focused around supporting local—it’s free and well organized.
I may be biased, but not only is it North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival, it’s also the largest festival celebrating [everything] local—local beer, local food trucks, local vendors. It’s 100 percent local! And it’s all in downtown Raleigh.Eight hours to enjoy, and it can’t get any better. This is a must-attend event for any local-vore.
Unleashed’s Annual K9 Spring Fling Dog and Cat Fundraiser
The event, held annually at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, is a family-friendly celebration focused on helping local area animal rescue groups. There will be tons of rescue groups along with lots of local vendors! They also have the biggest doggie Easter egg hunt around! There’s no admission cost which makes it fit into everyone’s budget. You can bring the whole family, including your dog and cat, the kids, stuff to donate to local animal shelters and enjoy a great day of fun in the sun.
You don’t have to be a biker to attend bikefest! What I like about it is it’s a free, open event and family-friendly. They have a simulator where you can feel what it’s like riding a bike. I enjoy the atmosphere and learning about bikes. I also like that it was the first event to exist when they first opened Fayetteville, so it set the tone for other festivals today.It’s recognized through most of the South—a great accolade to have. They also have the night parade—as soon as it gets dark, all the bikers have decorated their bikes with lights and you can see them riding through the city.
Ticket are $99 per person and include everything; food and drinks are provided on every level of the museum.There is a taco bar, a charcuterie station, chips and queso, dessert buffets, girls walking around with dessert on their table dresses, girls walking around with champagne as their dress, champagne toast at midnight, unlimited cocktails, live bands, dancing… did I mention the red carpet and food?! An incredible price for one of the best events all year. Tickets sell out fast, but it’s an absolute must-attend and, go ahead, call Safe Ride Home. You will thank me later.
Give: Tula Summerford Owner of Design By Tula
Summerford feels very fortunate for the success she’s had in her career and personal life, so part of her mission is to support local charities and foundations. The interior designer attends numerous fundraisers a year, and here she reveals a few of her favorites.
Boys & Girls Club of Wake County Designer Showhouse
For the first time, DJF Builders is sponsoring a designer showhouse highlighting 18 of N.C.’s top designers. The public can purchase tickets to visit the house and see all the different designs. They will see things they’ve never seen before, very over-the-top, avant garde and eclectic. Each designer chose a room that represents his or her style, and all the items in the showhouse are for sale to the public with 10 percent of the sales proceeds and all the proceeds from tickets going to The Wake County Boys & Girls Clubs. This organization has given young people an opportunity to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, the organization serves over 4,500 children and teens through seven club locations in Wake County.
The American Red Cross is gearing up for its annual ball to “Party for a Purpose” and dance the night away, plus there’s always fabulous food. It’s the organization’s biggest and most successful fundraiser, and this year it’s being held at the North Ridge Country Club. It’s such a worthy cause to support and so many people in our state depend on disaster relief funds from this organization.
This benefit helps furnish lives with dignity, and it’s hosted in our showroom. The night is filled with delicious food and drinks, tours of the facility, and a silent and live Chair-i-ty auction. It gives guests a behind-the-scenes look at the organization, and you hear heartwarming stories about the families that have shopped at The Green Chair Project. It also gives guests a chance to help future families in need. The proceeds will provide furniture assistance benefiting 548 households by the end of 2017.
My husband and I look forward to this gala every year as so many in the community come together to support mental health research and treatment. Every year, the foundation selects a speaker who has been affected by mental health issues. Past speakers have included Robin Williams’ son Zak, Ashley Judd, and this year Jane Pauley will attend. Held at the Angus Barn, the evening includes a gourmet meal, fabulous wine pairings and live and silent auctions. There is no better venue to host this extraordinary fundraiser than the Pavilion at the Angus Barn, under the leadership and passion of Van and Steve Eure, it’s both a memorable and charitable evening.
It’s a four-day event, but I won’t miss the BYOC (Bring Your Own Camera) Party for anything! I always go with my girlfriends. Raleigh’s up-and-coming photographers create a space or photo booth. They dress up as characters or create themes—one year one was all white, one was bubbles—and you take pictures. You can capture it with your own camera or theirs. There is music and DJs. Essentially it’s a dance party while supporting the arts. The following day you can get your holiday portraits done professionally. CAM is known for introducing its members and visitors to an endless array of art and the artists who create them.
Eat: Jennifer Noble Kelly Owner of JNK Public Relations
Kelly knows food: she’s a hospitality publicist and a charter member of the NC chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an organization of female culinary leaders. Here, she recommends five of her favorite delicious events.
CAM’s ArtHouse
May 5, 2017 | camraleigh.org
CAM’s annual fundraiser is one of my favorite events of the year, when art and food intersect. At this fundraiser, the food is never an after-thought. The chefs’ contribution to the evening often reflects art on display and is in and of itself, a work of art. I’ll never forget Scott Crawford’s elaborate hors d’oeuvres several years ago, where you’d pluck foie-stuffed morels from “dirt” made of fine, roughly diced mushrooms, or Posh Nosh’s Coleen Speaks’ late night poutine with rich mushroom gravy. CAM is one of those game- changers for Raleigh, and the food they serve always follows suit.
Ashley Christensen brought the Southern Foodways Alliance to Raleigh over a decade ago through her “Stir the Pot” dinners. Anyone interested in “preserving and celebrating Southern food culture” will want to grab a seat at the table for these two-part dinners. Christensen offers dinner one evening with some of the most celebrated chefs in America, and a potluck for the community the next. Some of my favorite meals were with Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen; Hog & Hominy in Memphis; and Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly in Houston. But I’ve also never forgotten that zabaglione with raspberries that Crooks Corners’ Bill Smith brought to a potluck. Trust me, if you aren’t already an SFA member, these dinners will convert you.
For its 10th anniversary, Farm to Fork is coming to Raleigh for the first time. This is an incredible fundraiser for CEFS (Center for Environmental Farming Systems) for all those interested in supporting our local, sustainable food system. On June 2nd, culinary historian Michael Twitty will speak at an event at City Market, surrounded by outstanding farm-focused Triangle area chefs, including John May of Piedmont and Jeff Seizer of Royale. Farm to Fork is most well-known for its Sunday picnic, now held at the picturesque Fearrington Inn. Chefs partner with artisans and farmers to show how delicious genuine culinary collaboration can be.
Blind Pig dinners are among the most adventurous in Raleigh. Chef Mike Moore from Asheville began it years ago, and now hosts the Raleigh series with Chef Steve Goff of Brine Haus. They tap into their wide regional network of supremely talented chefs who visit for pop-up dinners in surprise locations throughout the city—from farms to warehouses and side streets. Giving back is just as central to these dinners as creative food, so expect each dinner to benefit a community-oriented program.Be sure to snag your tickets upon announcement as they go fast, and BYOB to share with new friends at your communal table.
Near and dear to my heart, this is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual gala, which takes place in February in different locations throughout the Triangle, and this year raised over $250,000 for research to a cure for CF. Our 10-year-old son Worth has Cystic Fibrosis, and each year we’re overwhelmed by the support from the culinary, pharmaceutical and medical communities. Many chefs, like Ian Sullivan of Vidrio, are personally committed to curing CF, and have been participating for over a decade. This evening is as delicious as it is moving, and these chefs are all masters in my book for their ongoing commitment to turning CF into “Cure Found.”
The talented actress who starred on Broadway in “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Les Miserables” and alongside Glenn Close in “Sunset Blvd” returned home to Raleigh to present professional theater in a more intimate setting. Though she’s often busy with her own productions—this summer Theatre Raleigh debuts “Rock of Ages”— she also enjoys seeing cultural performances across the city. Here are a few of her favorites, including films, plays and dance performances.
You might know Rose, a music industry veteran, from his popular Oak City 7 or as the owner of Deep South The Bar. This summer, he is launching a new summer music series at Dorthea Dix Park. Stay tuned and, in the meantime, find out which events the music insider considers noteworthy.
Martin’s job is to promote everything local—local food, local products, local events—so she knows a thing or two about citywide events worth attending. She’s also the founder of Brewgaloo, one of the organization’s most popular yearly events, featuring more than 90 food trucks, local breweries and live bands. She couldn’t help but include it on her list of some of the best city events.
Unleashed’s Annual K9 Spring Fling Dog and Cat Fundraiser
Summerford feels very fortunate for the success she’s had in her career and personal life, so part of her mission is to support local charities and foundations. The interior designer attends numerous fundraisers a year, and here she reveals a few of her favorites.
Kelly knows food: she’s a hospitality publicist and a charter member of the NC chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an organization of female culinary leaders. Here, she recommends five of her favorite delicious events.