Celebrities to participate in 5th annual Dealing for Duchenne charity poker tournament to raise funds to cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

The 5^th annual Dealing for Duchenne charity poker tournament will be held on June 2, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the legendary Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City to raise funds to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The star-studded honorary event committee includes Joel Murray, Josh Malina, Anne Heche, James Tupper, David Foster, Seal, Paul Reiser, Parker Stevenson, Kelli Williams, Mandy Moore, Oliver Hudson, Kara DioGuardi, Clay Matthews and Michael Rappaport. Proceeds will benefit the Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (CDMD) at UCLA.  

Duchenne is a lethal muscle disease that impacts one in 3,500 boys. They are usually diagnosed by the age of 5, in a wheelchair by 12 and most don’t survive their mid-20s. Duchenne parents Chris and Amy Martin and Scott and Cathy Jones are hosting the event. The evening includes a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament, auction, special live musical guest and dinner by Wolfgang Puck. Actor Joel Murray (God Bless America, The Artist) with be the master of ceremonies.    

The evening will honor Josh Bohbot, who lives with Duchenne, and his parents George and Tyla. Josh is a 22-year-old UCLA student who was diagnosed with Duchenne at age 6 and began using a wheelchair at age 10. His insight, life experience, and participation with the CDMD have led the way in establishing comprehensive Duchenne care and rehabilitation and raised Duchenne awareness at UCLA. He serves as a role model on the UCLA campus and beyond, for men with Duchenne and other disabilities, redefining boundaries of independence, academics and achievement. His parents facilitated early and continued financial support, raising the first substantial gift for the CDMD at UCLA.

“We look forward to another successful Dealing for Duchenne event,” said Amy Martin, co-chair of Dealing for Duchenne. “We put our heart and soul into this event because we believe real treatments are on the horizon, and we are grateful to CureDuchenne and the CDMD at UCLA for working together to provide a place where research and translational medicine can coexist and eventually treat our children.”

Auction items include Yellowstone Club, Caddyshack Golf Trip, European Cruise, signed memorabilia, electronics, art, VIP special event/concert tickets and wine. Dealing for Duchenne is being presented by Raines Feldman LLP. Other sponsors include Gibson Dunn, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Trace 3, Ryan Partnership, CD Photocopy Service Inc., Wolfgang Puck Catering, Bacardi USA and Heineken.

Tables of 10 cost $2,500 and individual tickets are $175. Click here to buy tickets.

About CureDuchenne
CureDuchenne is a national nonprofit organization located in Newport Beach, Calif., dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne, the most common and most lethal form of muscular dystrophy. As the leading genetic killer of young boys, Duchenne affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide.

CureDuchenne has garnered international attention for its efforts to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne. With the help of CureDuchenne’s distinguished international panel of Scientific Advisors, funds raised by CureDuchenne support the most promising research aimed at treating and curing Duchenne. To date, seven CureDuchenne research projects have made their way into human clinical trials – a unique accomplishment as few health-related nonprofits have been successful in being a catalyst for human clinical trials.