2017 Champions to CureDuchenne Gala to be Held April 8 in Austin

Margarida Azevedo, MSc avatar

by Margarida Azevedo, MSc |

Champions to CureDuchenne

Hundreds seeking a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy will join April 8 at the University of Texas (UT) Golf Club for the Champions to CureDuchenne gala, now in its eighth year. The event, hosted by Quan Cosby, former wide receiver on the UT football team, and presented by the Fired Up Charity Foundation, aims to raise awareness and help CureDuchenne in finding a cure for the disease.

Tickets for the event, to be presented by Jim Spencer, meteorologist at KXAN-TV, cost $150. The event will feature cocktails, dinner, casino, silent and live auction.

More than 300,000 around the world, and 3,500 in the U.S. suffer from Duchenne. The disease affects boys mainly, weakening the muscles and causing life-threatening deterioration, leaving them in a wheelchair when they are only teenagers and usually causing death in their mid-20s. While some therapies are available, they are limited, and there is no cure for the disease.

Eight years ago, Mack and Sally Brown, along with Laura and Tim Revell, parents of two boys with Duchenne, created the Champions to CureDuchenne event to raise awareness and fund scientific research in order to find a cure for the disease. Since then, the events have raised more than $1 million to fight the disease.

“When our sons were first diagnosed, there was little hope for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” Tim Revell, parent of two boys with Duchenne said in a press release. “In the last year, we’ve seen two treatments approved, but this is not a cure. Boys with Duchenne continue to have their lives cut short way too soon, and by coming together as a community, we can change that. CureDuchenne needs your support to further invest in the thousands of boys whose lives are affected by Duchenne. We need more champions to help us find a cure,” he said.

More information about the event, its sponsors, and tickets, is available at at ChampionsforaCure.org.