X-Message-Number: 2367
Date: 30 Jul 93 09:45:05 EDT
From: Brenda Peters <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Brenda's cover letter


July 24, 1993

Dear Alcor Member,

My name is Brenda Peters. If you don't already know me, I've been an active 
Alcor member since 1983 and have participated in many cryonic suspensions, as 
well as all of the Cryovita/Alcor hypothermia research of the mid and late 
'80s, numerous fundraising campaigns for Alcor, membership recruitment for 
Alcor, the formation of three new local chapters, and the development of other
local groups. In addition, I have been a member of the Alcor Board of 
Directors for eight years.

I am thrilled to inform you of an exciting new possibility which, I believe, 
could accelerate Alcor's progress dramatically. As you probably know, Alcor 
has been in need of a new facility for a couple of years now. Our current 
facility is too small, too plain, and too close to the San Andreas fault for 
comfort. Additionally, because we are not in compliance with local Planning 
Commission regulations, (which you will receive details on soon) we are now in
a situation where a move is imperative.

Early in 1992, Alcor attempted to raise enough money to purchase a $400,000.00
building in Scottsdale, Arizona, but was unsuccessful. As you can see in 
Ralph's letter, Alcor has now optioned a building for $780,000.00 and is 
discussing methods to raise enough money to purchase it.

The good news I have is an extraordinary new opportunity for a specially 
designed cryonics building that may prove to be easily affordable for Alcor 
and a dream come true, as well. Enclosed is a letter to you from our fellow 
members, the Comos family of Mallorca, Spain. They have spent a great deal of 
time in Southern California in the last few years. They even bought a home 
there so that part of each year could be spent near Alcor. The Comos' are in 
the process of creating a beautiful, new building (also in Scottsdale), which 
will be the first cryonics facility ever designed specifically for this 
purpose. The Comos family has already purchased a block of land in Scottsdale 
for more than $100,000.00 and are in the process of developing the new 
building. As you will see in their enclosed letter to you, they very much want
their building to become Alcor's new home.

Some of the major advantages of a co-operative venture with the Comos family 
are listed below.

1. If Alcor occupies the new Comos cryonics facility, Alcor members could do 
so without a large down payment or mortgage because the Comos family is 
prepared to cover most of the expense of creating Alcor's new home.

2. The Comos building opens up two additional options to Alcor. Should the 
Acoma Street building not be purchased, Alcor could make some or all of the 
required changes to prepare the Riverside facility for being sold and stay 
where we are until the Comos facility is complete (perhaps 18 months) or we 
could rent space in the Scottsdale area until then. If either of these options
is pursued, then Alcor members could avoid situations like becoming a landlord
to businesses unrelated to cryonics, (such as a beer distributor, which 
occupies space in the building recently optioned).

3. The Comos building can be constructed in such a way as to insure the 
highest degree
of patient safety ever achieved by being virtually disaster and intruder 
proof.

4. The Comos' facility would offer the opportunity of an underground "cold 
room" and 
other revolutionary ideas in development which may be impossible in an already

existing building.

5. Most of Alcor's efforts to date will not have been wasted because the 
preliminary work being done in Scottsdale, with local authorities and 
governmental regulatory agencies, will apply to the Comos building.

6. By working with the Comos family, Alcor will have the opportunity of 
residing in a building designed to function as a first-rate cryonics facility 
which, at the same time, will serve as a show-piece that will appropriately 
reflect the goals of cryonics. As the Comos family put it in a recent letter 
to me, "we intend to create a truly beautiful building capable of being 
featured on every magazine cover in the world."

7. Other advantages such as being near the Mayo Clinic, University of Arizona,
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Scottsdale Airport, a local liquid nitrogen 
distributor, and all the medical/scientific research organizations in the area
apply to the Comos building. Also it would put Alcor near Dr. Nancy McEachern,
D.V.M. which could facilitate research and training and lower the cost of 
suspensions.

In short, by collaborating with a successful family of Alcor Members, we could
save a tremendous amount of money, offer state of the art security for our 
patients, and be able to expand and flourish in a building designed for the 
unique needs of cryonics.

As the Comos family explains in their letter to you, this building will be 
dedicated to their daughter. It was a heart wrenching tragedy that one so 
lovely, so young and vibrant as Christina Comos needed to be suspended. Her's 
was one of the most dramatic rescues in cryonics history and was a direct 
result of the courage, resourcefulness and dedication which the Comos family 
displayed in the face of nearly impossible odds. But since the Comos family is
an internationally successful, hardworking, and determined group of cryonics 
enthusiasts, it isn't surprising that they prevailed.

I will be flying to Mallorca at the end of July. The Board has unanimously 
voted me Alcor's Official Representative to meet with the Comos family in 
order to explore the details of a collaboration with them in the development 
of an impressive new home for Alcor. I will continue close communication with 
the Board and the Comos family in the interim, to iron out as many specifics 
as possible prior to my trip.

On my trip to Mallorca, I will be accompanied by my husband, Courtney Smith 
(also an Alcor member), who is President and CEO of a major investment firm in
Chicago, as well as by Professor Stephen Valentine, (another Alcor member in 
the process of signing up) who is a world-class architect. Stephen has worked 
on many prestigious projects including, most recently, (as a senior architect 
of the world renowned firm of I.M. Pei) the highly acclaimed U.S. Holocaust 
Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. (Please see the enclosed U.S. postal card 
showing the Holocaust Museum.) Of special concern to Stephen and the Comos 
family is the security of our patients. Stephen is very interested in 
designing the new building in Scottsdale and will be presenting his ideas to 
the Comos family in Mallorca, and discussing the possibility of becoming the 
architect for this project. I look forward to sending you a full report of my 
talks with the Comos family upon my return.

The prospect of an architect of Stephen Valentine's ability and reputation 
designing Alcor's new home adds even more excitement to a project that holds 
enormous promise for Alcor's future. I'm looking forward with great 
anticipation to my trip to Mallorca, and then to reporting the results at the 
next Alcor Board meeting. I have requested guidelines and opinions from the 
Board, to better aid me in my meetings with the Comos family. My plan is to 
return with a specific proposal for the Alcor Board to consider.

If you have questions or suggestions, please call me at (312)587-7050, or 
FAX:(312)587-7052, or write to Huron Plaza, 30 E. Huron, Suite 4709 Chicago, 
IL 60611, or send E-mail to Compuserve 72727,560.

Forever,



Brenda Peters
Alcor Director

P.S. I would appreciate it if you would take a moment to sign the enclosed 
pre-paid U.S. postal card and send it back as soon as possible. Your opinion 
matters to me.

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=2367