Rena Dixon, founder and president of the Heart of Gold Foundation for Sarcoidosis, started the nonprofit foundation in memory of her husband, Kenneth Glen Dixon Sr., who passed away Jan. 31, 2006 from undetected cardiac sarcoidosis.
Dixon said her husband lived a fulfilling life as a husband, father and grandfather. He was also songwriter, producer, arranger and vocalist for a popular music group, the Caprells.
Along with his love for music, Kenneth was also an international chef. He spent time creating exquisite cuisines from around the world, as well as a personal assistant on the television series, “The Chef Brocket Show.” But along with his work, he was also a very active community leader. His passion for life was extraordinary. 
HITTING THE ROAD—Participants in the second annual Kenneth G. Dixon Sr. Walk/Run for Sarcoidosis make their rubber hit the road in East Liberty at Highland Park. The event, sponsored by BREATHS, is held in memory of Dixon, who died of the disease, and to raise money for research.
The disease that took away his life, sarcoidosis, was once thought to be a rare condition, but is becoming more common. It is an inflammatory multi-system disorder that affects many organs in the body. Unfortunately, there is no known cause or cure for this devastating disease.
The Heart of Gold Foundation was put together to promote awareness and to educate others about sarcoidosis. Its goal is to support research and aid in the efforts to help find the cause and a cure for sarcoidosis, while also helping to improve the quality of life for those affected by the disease.
The foundation uses the acronym BREATHS when participating and hosting all public events connected with sarcoidosis. It stands for Believing Research and Educating All to Help Sarcoidosis.
The foundation plans to open the Kenneth Glen Dixon Sr. Center of Excellence for Sarcoidosis, which will combine patient information with laboratory findings to provide clinical relevance to basic science research. The foundation is the first chapter in the Pittsburgh area to publicly raise awareness of this disease. For more information, visit www.heartofgoldgd.org.