18th Annual Sam's Night Event Raises Over $1,400,000 For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research

News provided by

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD)

Oct 19, 2023, 10:18 ET

Another record-breaking year for PPMD Signature Event

DALLAS, Oct. 19, 2023 /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). The 18th annual fundraiser, held on Thursday, October 12, 2023, raised an impressive sum of over $1,400,000. This fundraising success broke their previous record from last year's event when they raised $1.1 million. Thanks to its generous supporters, Sam's Night has raised $5.6 million since its inception in 2005.

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

"We continue to be amazed by the support Sam's Night has received over the years and especially this year," said Sam's dad, John Killian. "When Chris Messick helped us start Sam's Family Fun Day 18 years ago, our goal was to build awareness in our community, raise funds to support PPMD's mission, and have some fun with Sam, his friends, and their families. We could never have imagined it would become such a long-standing event that has grown to where it is now, and that growth would not have been possible without the support of our incredible family, friends, and community. We especially couldn't have done it without the help of Stacey Magee and Jennifer Bowlby!"

"We are so grateful to the Killians for the contributions they have made to this community over the years," said Pat Furlong, PPMD's Founding President & CEO. "Not only are their efforts responsible for millions of dollars being raised to support research initiatives, they have provided mentorship, comfort, and support to countless families in the community."

Sponsors of Sam's Night include Clarion Partners, Altus Group, CBRE, Chicago Title, Colliers International, Cushman & Wakefield, Ernst & Young, Houlihan Lokey, JLL, Kessler Collins, Messick Peacock & Associates, MRP Realty, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PGIM, REDA LLC, Stream Realty, Trammell Crow Company, Vinson & Elkins, Wells Fargo, and Willmeng Construction.

There's still time to contribute by visiting SamsNight.org. 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 five 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)