Fourth Annual BLINGO To CureDuchenne To Honor Dr. Eric Olson

Philadelphia celebrities, prominent leaders and community members to gather for a blinged-out evening benefitting the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Philadelphia, PA (October 4, 2017) – CureDuchenne, a national nonprofit that raises awareness and funds research to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, will put the bling in bingo for their fourth annual fundraiser on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at The Westin Philadelphia. BLINGO to CureDuchenne is a vibrant evening presented by Cross Properties and will honor Dr. Eric Olson, the University of Texas Southwestern, for his gene editing research using technology CRISPR/Cas9 for Duchenne. The evening will also feature former Governor Edward G. Rendell, former Philadelphia Eagles player Tra Thomas, radio host Kathy Romano and Dr. Jennifer Caudle, coming together to support CureDuchenne’s mission to find a cure.

Duchenne is the most common and lethal form of muscular dystrophy. As the leading genetic killer of young boys, Duchenne affects more than 300,000 boys worldwide with nearly 15,000 boys living with the disease in the United States alone. Boys are usually diagnosed by age five, lose their ability to walk by 12 and most don’t survive their mid-20s. Currently, there is no cure for Duchenne.

Blingo is spearheaded by the Gambhir family, who reside in Center City and know first-hand the impact that Duchenne can have on a young boy and his family. They are devoted to finding a treatment and a cure for their son Yuva, a spirited 16-year-old who is battling the illness that has made it difficult for him to stand, walk and even reach.

“Every year we aim to increase awareness of this disease and raise funds to find a cure,” stated Yuva’s father, Manu. “My family and I are proud to support Dr. Olson’s gene editing research that has the potential to treat so many boys like our son who are affected by Duchenne.”

This year, BLINGO to CureDuchenne will honor Dr. Eric Olson and his work in developing the gene editing research using CRISPR/Cas9, which has the potential to treat 80% of those with Duchenne.  CureDuchenne has helped advance the development of treatments and research towards finding a cure for Duchenne through the generous donations and support of events like BLINGO to CureDuchenne.

BLINGO will be called by local celebrities, Kathy Romano and Dr. Jennifer Caudle. Radio host and Bucks County resident, Romano is dedicated towards bettering the lives of children and ensuring that each child has the opportunities to grow and develop in a safe and healthy environment. As a board-certified Family Medicine physician, Dr. Caudle is known nationally as an on-air health expert and appears bi-weekly on CBS 3 Philly News. Both individuals are eager to help bring awareness and help find a cure for Duchenne.

Tickets for BLINGO to CureDuchenne and sponsorship information can be found at https://staging.cureduchenne.org/blingo.  BLINGO to CureDuchenne sponsors include: Cross Properties, Cashman & Associates, The Concierge Assistants, The Condo Shop, Drexel University,  EKL, Gold Oller Real Estate Investments, Keller Williams Realty, Lavelle Productions, M Artists, Mannington, OTG Management, Parx Casino, Philadelphia Eagles, Spark Therapeutics, Sarepta Therapeutics, Westcot Management Group, TAG Consulting Group and TCS Management.

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. Duchenne affects more than 300,000 people worldwide, most of them boys and young men. 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, nine CureDuchenne research projects have advanced into human clinical trials. CureDuchenne also brings physical therapy and standard of care to local communities around the country through its CureDuchenne Cares Program.  For more information, please visit www.cureduchenne.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

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