Sept. 23, 2009
As part of a national project by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) called Coach to Cure MD, the Texas coaching staff will wear patches during Saturday’s game against UTEP meant to bring awareness to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Thousands of coaches nationwide in all levels of collegiate football will come together to raise awareness for the disorder, the most prolific genetic killer diagnosed in childhood.
“It is a very, very difficult disease,” head coach Mack Brown said. “Coaches cannot raise money, but what we can do is bring awareness to the disease and hope that people will look it up on the Internet and will follow it more and be passionate enough about it that they help to improve the research and help families that are stricken.”
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures. Boys and young men with the disorder develop progressive muscle weakness that eventually causes loss of mobility, wheelchair dependency and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function. Currently, there is no cure and limited therapeutic options exist.
“The reason the coaches have joined in a partnership with MS across the country is that this disease weakens the muscle structure of children,” Brown said. “Who better than college football coaches who work with men who have strong muscles every day to try to reach out and help with this awful disease?”
Last year, over 2,675 coaches participated in the inaugural Coach to Cure MD event, reaching 2,289,245 fans in stadium attendance, along with 32 million home viewers.
For more information please visit www.CoachtoCureMD.org
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