USU's Guy to Join AFCA in Fight Against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

On Saturday, October 25, Utah State head coach Brent Guy will join with college football coaches across the country to fight one opponent: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. By wearing an arm band with the Coach to Cure MD insignia during Saturday's game with Fresno State, Guy and coaches will show their support for Coach to Cure MD, the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) newest charitable project.

Fresno State head coach Pat Hill will also be wearing an arm band during Saturday's game, which is USU's Homecoming and kicks off at 1 p.m. (MT) at USU's Romney Stadium.

 

"We are blessed to watch 120 young men run and jump and play football on the field each Saturday, and this is only a small sign of our support for the young men who are affected by this terrible disease," Guy said. "It's a tremendous honor to be part of this activity to help find a cure."

 

Roughly 2,675 coaches at 204 colleges and universities across the country are teaming up to fight Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In partnership with Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), college football coaches are participating in a nationwide awareness building and fundraising event to benefit Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

 

"As coaches, we support medical research on our campuses and we support the research done on campuses across the country to find a cure for this disease," Guy said.

 

Football fans are encouraged to donate online by going to CoachToCureMD.org or by texting "CURE" to 90999 to automatically give $5 through their cell phone bill.

 

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood. Because the Duchenne gene is found on the X-chromosome, it primarily affects boys and occurs across all races and cultures. To date, there is no cure or treatment to stop the progression of Duchenne, and young men with Duchenne typically live only into their 20s.

 

 

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.

 

 

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 improve the treatment, quality of life and long-term outlook for all individuals affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy through research, advocacy, education and compassion. PPMD is headquartered in Middletown, Ohio with offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey. For more information, visit the Web site.