Padma Lakshmi and Tamer Seckin, MD Host The Fifth Annual Blossom Ball To Benefit The Endometriosis Foundation of America

Emmy-nominated television host of Bravo's Top Chef and award-winning author, Padma Lakshmi,and world-renowned endometriosis surgeon, Tamer Seckin, MD, are set to host the Fifth Annual Blossom Ball to benefit the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA). Now beginning their milestone fifth year with the foundation, they share a continued goal of raising disease awareness and generating funding for research. The gala will be held on Monday, March 11, 2013, at Capitale in New York City located at 130 Bowery.

Returning co-chairs, actress Susan Sarandon and philanthropist Eileen Guggenheim will be joined by CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Honorees are Dan Martin, MD and Serdar Bulun, MD. The black-tie optional evening will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed by an elegant seated dinner, musical performance by Grammy Award winning trio, De La Soul, and dancing. The opulent circus themed gala is produced by WCMG Events.

Lakshmi and Seckin formed the non-profit organization in early 2009 after Seckin diagnosed and treated Lakshmi for her debilitating case of endometriosis, a reproductive disorder affecting an estimated 176 million girls and women globally. In addition to increasing disease recognition, the EFA provides advocacy, facilitates expert surgical training, and funds landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public, the EFA places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention while simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.

"Our fifth Blossom Ball celebrates our achievements and shows how far we have come as an organization", says Lakshmi. "This is a disease that is often overlooked, but affects one in ten women. Our hope is to inform every doctor, school nurse, woman and teenage girl so that they don't have to suffer like I did."

"Endometriosis can go undetected for years without the proper learning channels", says Dr. Seckin. "The earlier we can diagnose patients, the more likely we are to prevent long term complications which can include infertility, hysterectomy, losing ovaries and multiple surgeries."

Tickets for dinner start at $750 and tables begin at $10,000. To reserve tables, make a tax-deductible donation to the EFA, or to get more information on the event please go online to www.endofound.org/blossomball. For more information on the Foundation or sponsorship opportunities please visit www.endofound.org, follow them on Twitter @endofound or call 212-988-4160. From February 28 to March 21, CharityBuzz will be hosting an online auction to benefit EFA. For more information, visit http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/efa.

The event follows EFA's Fourth Annual Scientific/Surgical Symposium at Lenox Hill Hospital. For more information, please visithttp://www.endofound.org/medicalconference.