Sam's Night Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary

Texas Event Continues to Raise Money for Duchenne Research in Honor of Sam Killian

News provided by

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD)

Nov 12, 2020, 12:05 ET

DALLAS, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the 15th Annual Sam's Night – a local event hosted by the Killian family benefiting Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a nonprofit organization leading the fight to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne). To date, this event has raised over $2.2 million, all of which has gone directly to finding a cure for Duchenne.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately one in every 5,000 live male births.

"In 2004, Sam was diagnosed at the age of three with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We were devastated and overwhelmed, desperate to do anything to help our son. That is when we found PPMD and its founder Pat Furlong. PPMD was there for us from the very beginning and continues to be there for families across the country as they try to navigate a difficult diagnosis," says Stefanie Killian, Sam's mom. "We're so grateful to our amazing community, friends, sponsors, and volunteers who join us each year, allowing us to raise much-needed funds for Duchenne research that will one day treat not just Sam, but all those living with this devastating disease."

Sam's dad, John, adds, "Sam's Family Fun Day was started in 2005 as a way to help educate others about Duchenne, and to help raise funds to support PPMD's research mission. After 10 years as a fun family event, the we decided to change Sam's Day to Sam's Night. Thanks to our community's incredible support, we are having an impact on this disease, and how it affects the 150,000 boys around the world with Duchenne."

Due to current restrictions around large gatherings, the Killians decided to hold a virtual event this year, providing their community the opportunity to support this incredible event and its mission from the comfort of their home or the palm of their hand.

"The Killians have been part of the PPMD family since the early days following Sam's diagnosis, and we have loved getting to know their family over the years. While every family navigates a Duchenne diagnosis differently, for the Killians, it meant raising money to help accelerate the development of treatments and a cure. We are so grateful to the Killians and their family and friends who make Sam's Night such a wonderful annual event. Because of the passion, energy, and dedication of this community, we are confident that we will end Duchenne," said Pat Furlong, Founding President & CEO of PPMD.

Sponsors of Sam's Night include Clarion Partners, CBRE, Chicago Title, Colliers and Berkshire Hathaway, Cushman Wakefield, Ernst & Young, JLL, Northwestern Mutual, PricewaterhouseCoopers, REDA, Stream Inc., Trammell Crow Company, Vinson and Elkins, and Willmeng Construction.

It's not too late to contribute to the fundraising effort 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, and YouTube.

SOURCE Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD)