Sept. 21, 2011
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By Jessica West
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Coaches all over the country will be wearing a patch on their left arm this weekend to help defeat a terrible genetic disorder, including UCF head coach George O'Leary and his staff on Friday when they take on BYU. It is a part of a program called Coach to Cure MD and its participants are members of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
The AFCA is working to raise awareness and funding to cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is a genetic killer diagnosed in children. This is the most common fatal genetic disorder and primarily affects boys. There is no cure to date and the life expectancy is only in the 20s.
The organization which AFCA and Coach to Cure MD are supporting is known as Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. They are the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. solely focused on this disorder.
Coach to Cure MD is celebrating its fourth season with the patch and UCF is proud to participate for the second year in a row. During the BYU game, football fans will be asked to donate to these research projects by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation). Fans may also donate by visiting www.CoachtoCureMD.org . Last year, more than 9,400 coaches and 373 schools participated and the program has raised $875,000. They hope to reach the million dollar mark this weekend with the help of our Knights fans.
About the AFCA
The American Football Coaches Association was founded in 1922 and is considered the primary professional association for football coaches at all levels of competition. The 10,000-member organization includes more than 90 percent of head coaches at the 700-plus schools that sponsor football at the college level. Members include coaches from Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and Mexico.
About PPMD
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 by parents of children with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. The organization's mission is to end Duchenne. It accelerates research, raise our voices in Washington, demand optimal care for all young men and educate the global community. PPMD is headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, with offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.parentprojectmd.org .