16th Annual Sam's Night Event raises over $600,000 for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research

Another record breaking year for PPMD Signature Event

News provided by

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD)

Oct 28, 2021, 09:00 ET

DALLAS, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Killian family, of Rockwall, are celebrating a record-breaking fundraising milestone with their annual Sam's Night event, to benefit Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD). Tonight's event has raised more than $600,000 so far. The event has raised nearly $3 million since its inception in 2005. Last year's event raised just over $532,000.

Sam's Night (formerly Sam's Family Fun Day) was started by the Killian family after their son Sam was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately one in every 5,000 live male births.

"When we held our first Sam's Family Fun Day, it was to build some awareness in our community about Duchenne and raise funds to support PPMD's research initiatives," said Sam's dad, John Killian. "We had no idea the extent to which our family, friends and the community would embrace this event and what we were trying to do, and it's because of their support that we've been able to do this for 16 years. We're so grateful for them, and for the volunteers who give so many hours of their time to make this event a success, especially Stacey Magee and Jennifer Bowlby, without whom this event would not happen."

"The Killians are such an incredible family, and we are grateful for their support and leadership in the community over the years," said Pat Furlong, PPMD's Founding President & CEO.. "Thanks to their direct efforts, millions of dollars have been raised to help accelerate research into treatments that will mean an improved quality of life for many people living with Duchenne."

Sponsors of Sam's Night include Clarion Partners, CBRE, Chicago Title, Colliers, Cushman Wakefield, Ernst & Young, JLL, MRP Industrial, PGIM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Stream Realty, Trammell Crow Company, Vinson & Elkins, and Wells Fargo.

There's still time to contribute by visiting the Sam's Night website. To learn more about Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, visit www.ParentProjectMD.org.

About Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne is a fatal genetic disorder that slowly robs people of their muscle strength. Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) fights every single battle necessary to end Duchenne.

We demand optimal care standards and ensure every family has access to expert healthcare providers, cutting edge treatments, and a community of support. We invest deeply in treatments for this generation of Duchenne patients and in research that will benefit future generations. Our advocacy efforts have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and won four FDA approvals.

Everything we do—and everything we have done since our founding in 1994—helps those with Duchenne live longer, stronger lives. We will not rest until we end Duchenne for every single person affected by the disease. Join our fight against Duchenne at EndDuchenne.org. Follow PPMD on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

SOURCE Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD)