The Muscular Dystrophy Association Celebrates 23 Years of Annual New York Muscle Team Gala

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association's (MDA) New York Muscle Team is hosting its 23^rd annual Gala on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Cipriani Wall Street (55 Wall Street, New York, NY). Highlighting MDA's thematic of "Power of Will," the event will champion people living with neuromuscular diseases who pursue their dreams despite physical setbacks and honor leaders in the real estate community. Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/MuscleTeam19.

The MDA New York Muscle Team Gala is a high-profile sports dinner where professional athletes join with business executives from the corporate real estate and construction industries, to put their muscles behind the search to fund innovative research and care to find treatments and cures for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases that severely limit strength and mobility.

Prominent sportscasters and athletes will attend as part of the 2019 MDA Muscle Team including the New York Giants' Evan Engram, Dalvin Tomlinson, Tae Davis, Elijhaa Penny, Jonathan Hillman, Zak DeOssie, Josiah Tauaefa, Chad Slade and Garrett Dickerson, New York Jets' Quincy Enunwa, Kelechi Osemele, Brent Qvale, Braxton Berrios, Lachlan Edwards, Avery Williamson and Bilal Powell, Giants.com's Madelyn Burke, MSG Network's Rebecca Haarlow, FOX 5 New York's Tina Cervasio, CBS New York's Gary Myers, CBS Sports Radio's Brandon Tierney and Muscle Team alumni including New York Giants' Mathias Kiwanuka and Mike Cox, New York Jets' Victor Hobson, New York Knicks' John Starks and Meadowlands Racetrack driver John Campbell. MDA New York Muscle Team Committee Member and legendary sportscaster Russ Salzberg will host, marking his 23^rd year with the event.

Since its inception, the New York Muscle Team has raised more than $23 million to help support the development of therapies and cures and provide programs and services that enrich the lives of people with neuromuscular disease. In just the past four years, there have been eight FDA approved drugs that are now available treatment options for hundreds of thousands of people.

"It is an honor to be a part of the New York Muscle Team as we work to help MDA make a difference for the families they serve," said Salzberg. "I can think of no better organization to engage with and this dynamic event continues to raise much needed funds to ensure people affected by muscular dystrophy are getting the best in care."

The following individuals will be honored at the event:

• The 2019 Muscle Team Coach award recipients are James K. Donaghy, executive chairman of the Structure Tone Organization, and Joe Stolarski, chief revenue officer, corporate solutions, for JLL.
• This year's MDA Muscle Team Gala will also recognize the Josh Cooper family, who will receive the Russ Salzberg Champion of Spirit Award. A former MDA Summer Camp camper, local MDA Ambassador Josh Cooper, who lives with a neuromuscular disease, is bringing MDA's "Power of Will" thematic to life by pursuing his dream of going to law school at Seton Hall University.

"We are grateful that this event has become one of New York's most prominent fundraising galas and we thank the athletes and real estate community members who band together each year to support our cause," said Lynn O'Connor Vos, MDA president and chief executive officer. "The New York Muscle Team's 23 years of generosity has generated funds for MDA Summer Camp for thousands of children and groundbreaking research that is accelerating cures for the neuromuscular disease community."

New York is home to seven MDA Care Centers serving over 2,500 families. Funds raised will benefit Columbia University, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York University, Montefiore Medical Center, Rutgers, St. Charles Hospital and SUNY Downstate Hospital. Support will also be provided for over 125 children with neuromuscular diseases (ages 8-17) to attend three area MDA Summer Camp programs – at no cost to families.

MDA's 2019 Muscle Team Committee Chairs are led by a distinguished group of real estate leaders and executives: Philip Bottega, A.I.A., SL Green Realty Corp; Anthony Cammarata Jr., Goldman, Sachs & Co.; James C. Halpin, Platinum; Ted Moudis, A.I.A, Ted Moudis Associates; Michael Neary, Structure Tone, Inc.; Edward V. Piccinich, SL Green Realty Corp; Russ Salzberg, Legendary NYC Sportscaster and Joseph Trancina, Unity International Group.

MDA's 2019 Muscle Team Managers include Valerie Burd, ABM; Marc D. Chiapperino, P.E., VVA Project Managers & Consultants; Jason Dove, Platinum; Dennis Meehan, The Meehan Consulting Group, Inc.; John McGinley, JPMorgan Chase; Raymond Quartararo, JPMorgan Chase and Christopher Savoglou, Ted Moudis Associates.

About the Muscular Dystrophy Association
MDA is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by 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, and our resource hub serves the community with one-on-one specialized support and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. 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. For more information visit mda.org.

SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association

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https://www.mda.org