The Red Dot Ball was started in 1998 in honor of the death of prior Highland ED faculty, Pat Connel. Dr. Connel was an omnipresent force in the Oakland community and a bridge between the ED and the EMS services that brought patients to the department.

As a celebration of his life and death, the ball was an opportunity for all those circulating in, on, and through our department to break bread, dress up, and get to know each other better. We pose this ball, an echo of the past, as a pleading cry in answer to the question: "if we spend all our time defining ' the new normal,' who can we trust to define 'the new weird?'"

Now more than ever, we need chances to see each other, know each other, and build the relationships we need to do this work.

Highland family, please help us bring back this tradition! Help us contemplate its merits. Historicize its origins. Share our stories from this magical space. And find blinding joy.

ANY amount donated helps tremendously while we are fronting for the venue, music, decorations, etc.. We will also be selling tickets, and will open these sales up more widely in the coming weeks.

October 29th, 2022.

With great joy and pleasure

EMAIL IS YOUR STORIES ABOUT DR. CONNEL, HIGHLAND, RED DOT: [email redacted]