Champions to CureDuchenne Annual Gala April 9 at UT Golf Club to Raise Funds, Awareness

by Margarida Azevedo, MSc | March 18, 2016

On April 9, hundreds of Texans will meet at the University of Texas Golf Club in Austin for the seventh annual Champions to CureDuchenne gala to raise both awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and funds to advance research to further the mission of CareDuchenne, which is to find a cure for this damaging disease. The gala will be hosted by former UT football player Vince Young, and will be emceed by KXAN chief weathercaster Jim Spencer.

Most commonly found among males, Duchenne MD causes progressive muscle degeneration that worsens with age. There is currently no cure. DMD patients frequently lose their ability to walk halfway through their teenage years, and most don’t live through their adult years. It is considered a leading genetic killer of young boys. DMD is estimated to affect one in every 3,500 young men in the U.S.

Champions to cureDuchenne was founded seven years ago when former UT coach Mack Brown and his wife Sally partnered with Tim and Laura Revell, who had two young boys suffering from DMD. The Texas-sized event has been held every year since then at the UT Golf Club and has raised more than $1 million to find a cure for this debilitating condition, with no real treatments to date.

“When our sons were diagnosed, there was little hope for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” Tim Revell said in a press release. “While we have made great strides in finding a treatment, there is still much work to be done. Without a cure, boys with Duchenne will have their life cut short way too soon. By supporting CureDuchenne you are investing in a treatment pipeline for the future survival of all those with Duchenne. We need more champions to help us find a cure.”

The Champions to CureDuchenne Austin Gala is presented by Johnny Carino’s, with sponsors including the NFL Alumni Austin, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Designer Floors of Texas, Summit Stoneworks, Diamonds Direct, Reese Family Foundation, Revenew International LLC, and H-E-B Tournament of Champions.

The event costs $150 per person and includes food, beverages, entertainment, and a live silent auction. For more information regarding tickets, visit the organization’s official website here.

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About the Author

Margarida Azevedo, MSc Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies.