Golf Events Bring Lifesaving Funds for Research & Care for 300,000+ Families Living with Disabilities Including Muscular Dystrophy, ALS and Over 40 Related Neuromuscular Diseases

NEW YORK, March 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) today announced registration for fundraising events at four championship golf courses. Registration fees will fund research, care, and advocacy to find treatments and cures and provide equal access for the community of families across the nation living with disabilities, including muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases.

The events include:

• May 6 – MDA ALS Golf Classic, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, Phoenix, AZ
• May 21 – Mike Bellotti's 28^th Annual Toast to Strength Golf Tournament, Eugene Country Club, Eugene, OR
• July 13 – 17^th Annual Edgar Martinez Golf Classic, The Golf Club at Newcastle, presented by QFC & Liberty Mutual, Newcastle, WA 
• September 25 – Mike Neufeldt Memorial Golf Outing at Western Lakes Golf Club, Pewaukee, WI

"This line up of events is very important to me as someone living with muscular dystrophy who loves golf!" said world ranked disabled golfer, Keegan Kilroy. "Golf is a game for everyone of all abilities. The work of MDA, bringing communities together to fundraise on the golf course is changing lives through the research funding – and advocacy. While we enjoy the challenges the game of golf presents, we are reminded of the critical need to increase funding for neuromuscular disease research," he continued. "I've personally advocated for this with MDA, with my sister Elisabeth, who is now a post-doctoral scientist at Nationwide Children's Hospital, an MDA Care Center, working to cure my disease!"

"I'm so proud of how our community and sponsors have come together for families living with neuromuscular diseases," said Baseball Hall of Famer, Edgar Martinez. "In the 17 years I've been hosting this event, the funds raised have contributed to notable progress and treatments that are transforming lives," he continued. 

"Golfing is an incredibly fun way to bring communities together, in support of people living with neuromuscular diseases, while raising funds for scientific and clinical breakthroughs to save lives," said Donald S. Wood, PhD, President and CEO of MDA. "Funds raised from events like these have led to 12 FDA approved treatments for neuromuscular diseases in the past six years alone. We know that more funding will lead to cures," he continued.

For 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best in class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational opportunities for families and healthcare providers by providing conferences, events, and materials. MDA Advocacy supports equal access for our community, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDA continues to produce virtual events and programming to support our community when in-person events and activities are not possible. MDA's COVID-19 guidelines and virtual events are posted at mda.org/COVID19. For more information, visit mda.org.

SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association

Related Links

https://www.mda.org