Huntingdon to support Coach To Cure MD on Saturday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon College football staff will join coaches nationwide on Saturday in supporting the Coach To Cure MD program. The program has raised more than a million dollars to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy since 2008.

Participating coaches will wear a Coach To Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines. The purpose of the patches is to encourage fans to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Fans can donate by going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999. A $5 donation will be added to your next phone bill. In 2012, more than 10,000 college coaches at a record 580 different institutions took part in Coach to Cure MD.

Huntingdon, which has participated in Coach To Cure MD in each year of the program's existence, will have a special guest for Saturday's Homecoming game with Ferrum College. The Hawks will welcome back 15-year-old Ben Evans as the team's special guest. Evans will meet with the team before the game and has been invited to participate in the coin toss with the Hawks' team captains.

"We're happy to have Ben here and have him as part of our team," Huntingdon football coach Mike Turk said. "The kids and their families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy serve as an inspiration to us. We've been blessed with the opportunity to be able to play and be involved with the great sport of football. This is a way for us to use the sport we love to try and help raise money and raise awareness to help others."

The Coach To Cure MD program is supported by a partnership between the American Football Coaches Association and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.

According to PPMD, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood. It primarily affects boys and young men and spans across all races and cultures. This fatal genetic disorder leads to progressive muscle weakness that eventually results in a decline in cardiac and respiratory function, loss of mobility and wheelchair dependency. There is no cure for the disorder at this time.