Cure Duchenne Kicks Off Inaugural ‘Pinkies Up to CureDuchenne’ Fundraising Campaign
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A campaign hopes to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and promote research toward a cure by asking supporters to paint a nail on one of their little fingers blue.
The Pinkies Up campaign is gearing up for November. (Photo courtesy of CureDuchenne)
Called “Pinkies Up to CureDuchenne,” the inaugural effort is led by CureDuchenne, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the most common kind of muscular dystrophy, affecting roughly 300,000 boys globally, including 15,000 in the United States.
To date the nascent drive, which gears up in earnest in early November, has raised $5,269 toward its $1 million goal.
“Our goal is to raise as much money as possible, with every dollar bringing us closer to finding a cure for this degenerative disease,” said Debra Miller, founder and chief executive officer of CureDuchenne, in a news release. “We have built a tremendous amount of momentum for our cause and hope to continue it through 2018 and beyond with this fun, yet simple, campaign.”
As part of the effort, CureDuchenne suggests several ways to help, including encouraging supporters to start their own fundraiser as an individual or part of a team, or search for a fundraiser or team to help. More information is available here.
In addition, participants are urged to get their friends, family, and co-workers involved by having them donate a few dollars in exchange for having their pinkie nails slicked blue.
In fact, the organization suggests bringing a favorite blue nail polish to work, school, and after-school and social events and family gatherings, and asking whether an employer would participate in corporate matching. Queries about the blue nail is an opportunity to explain what Duchenne is and what the needs are.
To further help spread the word, participants are asked to take to social media with videos or photos of their blue nails using the hashtag #PinkiesUptoCureDuchenne. Campaign toolkits and T-shirts may be ordered here. All kits include promotional cards, blue nail polish, and a T-shirt. Toolkits cost up to $25, depending upon shirt size.
Supporters who simply wish to donate to the mission to fund a cure can do so using this link.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare inherited disorder of progressive muscular weakness. While girls can be carriers and mildly affected, the disease mostly affects boys. While there’s no cure, physical therapy and medications can help manage symptoms.
CureDuchenne is widely viewed as the global leader in research, patient care and innovation for improving and extending the lives of children with Duchenne.
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