SMA fund raising even a huge success

Posted by Carlos Menjivar 
on Sep 15, 2014
 
Greatest fund raiser event in the history of the club
With over two hundred people in attendance and over $36000 raised, this event marks a great success for the club and for Cure SMA and for Ride On
 
 
On September 14, 2014 The Rotary club of Van Nuys organized a fund raiser event at the Odyssey restaurant. This event was to support the efforts of Cures SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) and Rite On a horse therapy organization. These organizations work to treat and find a cure for the disease.
The fundraiser was in honor of two children: Lucas Cook, eight years old, and Sara Gerson, five. Sara is the granddaughter of Wynne Ritch, the Van Nuys Rotary club president.
Both children have SMA type two, and both take part in Ride On. The money raised will be used to support the thousands of children with this disease and their families as well as those who are involved with Ride On Hippo therapy (link) the goal is to treat and cure SMA.
This event was the first fundraiser event for this disease in this area. To the event brought together over two hundred people in attendance and the money raised was about $36000 before the event’s expenses. This could be considered the largest fundraiser event in the history of our club.
As part of the event we had a magician from Magic Castle and we had the actor Robert Hayes from the movie “Airplane”. Buddy Ebsen’s daughter “Kiki” played the piano and sang some songs.
Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped put together the event and to the sponsors who contributed financially:
Special sponsors:
CA Coast Aluminum
G&E Glass and mirrors
Keller, Fishback & Jackson LLP of Agoura Hills
Pacific West Capital Group, Inc
David and Sarah Cook    
For more information about these two organizations working to cure EMS go to their websites: