PLEASANTVILLE, NY- Pace Football Head Coach Andrew Rondeau and his coaching staff will be participating in the American Football Coaches Association Coach to Cure MD program at this Saturday's game. The Setters will be on the road to face the Saint Anselm Hawks and the Pace Football coaching staff will be wearing a Coach To Cure MD logo patch in support of raising money and awareness to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
 
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. More than 60 of those games will recognize a local Duchenne family on the field before or during the game. Northwestern Mutual, one of America's strongest corporate backers of college football, has served as the corporate sponsor for the program this year, making a major financial donation to PPMD's medical research for a cure to Duchenne MD.
 
Football fans can donate to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill). Last year, more than 10,000 college coaches at more than 600 different institutions participated in Coach To Cure MD events. Both those figures are higher than in any of the program's first six years (2008-13). The five-year fundraising total is just over $1 million.
 
The Coach to Cure MD logo patches the coaches will wear on the sideline are provided by Windswept Marketing, a company with a 50 year heritage in the embroidered emblem and advertising specialty industry. Windswept specializes in helping companies and organizations create custom branding solutions for their corporate branding needs.
 
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 Duchenne muscular dystrophy 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 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and limited therapeutic options exist.
In addition to the coaches' efforts, families affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy will also gather for fund-raising tailgate parties on campuses around the country to encourage more fans to get involved.
 
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. We accelerate 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.