Metro New York Professional Athletes Come Together to Fight Muscle Disease at MDA Muscle Team Kickoff Event
New York (PRWEB) November 08, 2014 -- Famous Metro New York athletes will team up at a special kickoff event for the 18th annual New York Muscle Team® Gala on Monday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) save and improve the lives of children and adults affected by muscle disease.
The kickoff event and media reception will take place at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, Pier 61 (Hudson River and 23rd Street). During the event, each member of the MDA Muscle Team will be introduced and paired with their "MDA Buddy" — a child from the Metro New York area who is affected by muscle disease. After the kickoff event, the athletes and MDA Buddies will meet up again for the 2015 Muscle Team Gala that is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2015.
"We are excited to be celebrating the kickoff of the 18th annual Muscle Team Gala & Auction that will make a real difference in the lives of people fighting life-threatening muscle disease in our community,” said MDA Associate Director of Business Development Caity Connolly. “The athletes we have joining the 2015 Muscle Team are as excited as ever to put their muscle behind the fight for muscle health and help MDA move toward a world free of the harmful effects of muscle disease."
FOX5/My 9 News Sports Anchor Russ Salzberg will emcee the kickoff event, marking his 25th year as an MDA supporter.
The 2015 Muscle Team will again consist of top athletes from the New York Giants, New York Jets, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Red Bulls and the New York Racing Association.
About the 2015 Muscle Team Gala.
The 2015 MDA Muscle Team Gala and Benefit Auction is a unique, high-profile reception and fundraiser that provides guests with the opportunity to meet professional New York athletes who have chosen to put their muscle behind the fight against muscle disease.
The evening consists of a VIP and media reception, pre-dinner cocktails and a gourmet sit-down dinner at Chelsea Piers' distinctive NYC waterfront setting Pier 60. The event is highlighted by live and silent auctions consisting of one-of-a-kind fantasy packages, unique sports memorabilia, theater and concert tickets, exclusive trips, and a chance to create a lifetime of memories by sending a child to MDA summer camp in Center Moriches, N.Y.— it’s known as the “best week of the year” for many kids affected by muscle disease.
Since 1996, the New York Muscle Team Gala has raised more than $17 million to support MDA research and services. The 2015 event is again expected to raise more than $1 million for children and adults affected by muscle disease in the Metro New York area.
Funds raised at the Gala will build on decades of research progress, helping push science to its limits in the search for treatments and cures.
The dollars raised also help support MDA’s life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and clinics, including local MDA Clinics at Columbia University, Hospital for Special Surgery, NYU Langone Medical center.
For tickets to the 2015 Muscle Team Gala and Benefit Auction, or for more information about MDA’s services, call MDA Associate Director of Business Development Caity Connolly at (212) 682-5272 or visit nymuscleteam.org.
For up-to-date information about the 18th annual Muscle Team Gala, follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/ManhattanMDA) and Twitter (@MDAManhattan).
About MDA
The Muscular Dystrophy Associa tion is the world’s leading no nprofit health agency dedicated to saving and improving the lives of people with muscle disease, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement.
Visit mda.org and follow us at facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews. Learn more about MDA's mission by watching this video.
- MDA -
Caity Connolly, Muscular Dystrophy Association, +1 520-603-5724, [email protected]
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