Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The Alpha-1 Foundation has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day as a community since 2008. Over 300 guests joined together at the 18th Annual Celtic Connection on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Newton Marriott in Boston, Massachusetts. The outstanding event committee joined together this year to plan another outstanding Building Friends for a Cure (BFC) community fundraiser honoring Irish heritage. The event raised an outstanding $200,000 for A1F towards Alpha-1 research and related programs.
Celtic Connection has become the largest BFC event through the outstanding support of sponsors and the dedication and motivation of the longstanding committee, including Bob Healy, Chair, Mike & Diane Allen, Mary Beth Byrnes, Irene Calderon, Aleigha Campbell, Dan & Kathi Coffin, Shirley Dennis, Oliver & Joan Garry, Dan Grimm, Peg Iverson, Siobhan Lestina, Richard Lovrich, Joe & Patsy Masterson, Angela McBride, Dave & Lori Mitcheroney, Patricia Murphy, Ingrid Nunes, Diana Patterson, Michael & Karin Pittsley, Rachel Sprunger and the Walsh Family.
At this year’s event, members of the committee joined Emcee, Richard Lovrich on stage to share their “luck” with guests. There is a fine tradition attached to the phrase “The Luck of the Irish” and that good Irish luck has followed this group from Ireland.
“I am lucky for the Alpha-1 Foundation and the staff, and I feel so lucky to have the support and love of my family and friends,” exclaimed Bob Healy, Chair.
The Celtic Connection event brings long held and cherished Irish traditions. The highlight each year is the presentation of the Shillelagh Award. The Shillelagh is a traditional Celtic weapon associated with Ireland, and the award symbolizes the battle that Alpha-1 doctors, researchers, and leadership wage against Alpha-1.
This year, the 2026 Shillelagh award was presented to Dr. J. Michael Wells. Dr. Wells is an Associate Professor of Medicine in Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research focuses on COPD and Alpha-1 and its associated pulmonary vascular disease. He completed his Internal Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care training at UAB, where he also served as Chief Medical Resident. Dr. Wells is a key investigator in the Alpha-1 Biomarker Consortium (A1BC) Study that follows patients enrolled in the Alpha-1 Research Registry to identify biomarkers that can be used to advance Alpha-1 clinical trials. His outstanding commitment to the Alpha-1 community is evident in his clinical and research work. We are grateful to Dr. Wells for his passion to finding a cure.
“I’m deeply honored and genuinely humbled to receive the Shillelagh Award from the Alpha-1 patient community and the Foundation. Of all the acknowledgments a clinician or researcher might receive, this one is especially meaningful because it comes from the very people whose lives inspire the work we do. Alpha-1 is more than a diagnosis or a research topic. It is a lived experience for individuals, families, and entire communities who face uncertainty with remarkable courage. Being recognized by that community is something I do not take lightly. When people think about scientific progress, they often picture laboratories, microscopes, complex data sets, or investigational drugs. And those things are certainly part of the story. But the real force in Alpha-1 research has always been people. Patients who volunteer their time, families who share their experiences, advocates who organize, educate, and support one another, and individuals who step forward to participate in research. Science often moves slower than any of us would like. Progress can feel incremental. But when we look back, we see that perseverance and sustained effort over time change what is possible. The symbol of the shillelagh is appropriate in this context. A shillelagh, as a walking stick, acts as a support for the long road ahead,” remarked Dr. Mike Wells.
Past Shillelagh recipients include The Alpha-1 Community in honor of Fred C. Walsh (2025), Dr. Monica Goldklang (2024), Dr. James K. Stoller (2023), COVID-19 Frontline Workers (2021 & 2022), Dr. Virginia Clark (2020), Dr. Charlie Strange (2019), Dr. Jeanine M. D’Armiento (2018), AlphaNet, Inc. (2017), Dr. Chris Mueller and Dr. Scott E. Kopec (2016), Dr. Bartolome R. Celli and John W. Walsh and Fred C. Walsh (2015), Dr. Gerald Turino and Dr. Andrew Wilson (2014), Dr. Robert Sandhaus and Dr. Edwin K. Silverman (2013), Dr. Noel G. McElvaney (2012), Dr. Mark Brantly (2012), Dr. Gordon L. Snider (2011) and Dr. Terrence Flotte and Dr. Darrell N. Kotton (2010).
The Celtic Connection event included live music performed by “Devri. The singing of the Irish National Anthem by Angela McBride and the American National Anthem by Kailey Walsh. The talented, award-winning, youth dancers from a local Irish dance studio, Harney Crawford Academy of Irish Dance located in Walpole, Massachusetts performed for the crowd. The jovial Irish music filled the room as guest clapped along with the flawless performances. Scott Santarella, A1F President & CEO concluded the evening with his remarks recognizing the members of the Fred C. Walsh Speaker Bureau that were in attendance and sharing Fred’s legacy towards patient empowerment.
“Our extended family enjoyed the opportunity to attend the Celtic Connection and celebrate with the Alpha-1 community, both in memory of Fred and for the many others who continue to help fund research for a cure. We miss Jack Walsh, Fred and John, and celebrate with all the others who have made this such a successful event for the past 18 years. That said, it was Fred’s favorite Alpha-1 gathering and we felt his presence in the room,” said Pam Walsh.
“The Celtic Connection is our favorite Alpha-1 Foundation event and a wonderful way to celebrate being part of the Alpha-1 community. It’s a special opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, share stories, and laughter with people who truly understand the Alpha-1 journey. Seeing patients, families, doctors, researchers, sponsors, and supporters come together each year to make the night incredibly meaningful, while raising critical funds to support Alpha-1 research and bring us closer to a cure,” Patsy and Joe Masterson, longstanding Celtic Connection Committee member.
Thank you to the generous 2026 Celtic Connection Individual sponsors that made the event possible: Julie Berry, Ruth Cadwgan, Oliver and Joan Garry, Bob Healy, Pete and Peg M. Iverson, The Reidy Family, Patty L. Tew and The Walsh Family.
Thank you to the generous 2026 Celtic Connection Event Sponsors: Airna, AlphaNet, American Lung Association, Beam Therapeutics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Lung Center, CReM of Boston University and Boston Medical Center, CSL, Grifols, Petrie’s Flower Shoppe, Prime Medicine, Sanofi, Steve Ward “Cape Cod Dairy Group”, Takeda, VitalCare Cambridge and Wave Life Sciences.
A1F’s Building Friends for a Cure program brings communities together to promote awareness, raise funds, and advocate for a better future for people living with Alpha-1. Thank you to the Building Friends for a Cure program Sponsor: AlphaNet, CSL, Grifols, Sanofi and Takeda.
To view all the photos from this event, click here.
