Cary Brewery Hosting Fundraiser for Rare Disease
Cary, NC – Huntington’s Disease affects roughly 30,000 Americans with many more at risk of developing it, which leads to few resources to research the disease. To educate people and raise money in a fun way, a local Cary brewery is holding a fundraiser for Huntington’s research.
Live Music, Raffles and Beer
Jordan Lake Brewing Company on on E Durham Road in Downtown Cary is hosting “Night Out For A Cure” on Saturday, May 19, 2018, to raise money for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA).
“There will be live music from [local musician Ann Arader] and there will be raffles with prizes,” said Anthony Martinez with HDSA. “We’ll also be set up to give out information. We’re hoping to talk to people and promote other events we have in Cary.”
Raffle prizes include tickets to the Durham Bulls, jewelry from Kendra Scott, gift baskets and more. Also, for every drink sold, Jordan Lake will donate $1 to HDSA.
Martinez said this is HDSA’s first brewery event, created with the idea that it will bring in more people than their typical fundraiser.
“Traditionally we hold walk-a-thons but usually that only attracts people who are already affected by Huntington’s Disease,” Martinez said. “This will broaden our base and connects us to younger people as well.”
Funding For More Diseases
Huntington’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease where brain cells die and can result in lost motor function and speech, sometimes also resulting in dementia-like mental ability. Currently, there is no known cure.
Martinez said it is difficult to fundraise around Huntington’s Disease not only because it is so rare but because it is most commonly spread through inheritance from a parent’s gens.
“The biggest thing is its isolated within families,” he said. “With Huntington’s, if a parent has it, it’s a flip of the coin whether you get it or not.”
Symptoms usually start to show when a person is between 30 and 50 years old and Martinez said it’s important to get the word out about testing.
“Since it is usually within a family, the more people that know about it and whether they have the disease, we can eliminate it completely,” he said. “But it’s so rare, it’s something most physicians never even come across.”
But Martinez also said fundraising for Huntington’s Disease does not only help patients and families with the disease. He said it is closely related to other neurodegenerative diseases and research in one can lead to results in others.
“Fundraising for Huntington’s spurs all that research forward,” he said.
Event Details
Jordan Lake Brewing Company, 320 E Durham Rd.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
7 PM to Midnight
Story and photos by Michael Papich.
