BSU Football to Participate in AFCA Coach To Cure MD Weekend

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Bridgewater State University football head coach Chuck Denune and his staff will join over 10,000 college football coaches from around the country this Friday, September 26 in support of the American Football Coaches Associations' (AFCA) Coach To Cure Muscular Dystrophy program.

For the sixth year in a row, college football coaches nationwide will join together in support of the Coach To Cure MD program. The rapidly growing annual effort has raised more than a million dollars to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The Bears will support the program during its contest this Friday at home against MASCAC foe Fitchburg State University. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 pm.  FSU head coach Patrick Haverty and his staff will also be supporting the program.

This weekend, AFCA members will wear a Coach To Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines and college football fans will be asked 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. More than 60 of those games will recognize a local Duchenne family on the field before or during the game.

Football fans can donate to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).

Last year, more than 10,000 college coaches at more than 600 different institutions participated in Coach To Cure MD events. Both those figures are higher than in any of the program's first six years (2008-13). The five-year fundraising total is just over $1 million.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures. Boys and young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy develop progressive muscle weakness that eventually causes loss of mobility, wheelchair dependency and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function. Currently, there is no cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and limited therapeutic options exist.

"The AFCA is proud to be involved with raising funds and awareness for the fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy," said Ithaca College head coach and AFCA President Mike Welch. "The annual Coach To Cure MD program is a highlight of the college football season for everyone in our profession and we're pleased to continue this for a seventh consecutive year. We continue to work toward the goal of curing this deadly disease."

In addition to the coaches' efforts, families affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy will also gather for fund-raising tailgate parties on campuses around the country to encourage more fans to get involved.

"Since PPMD's inception twenty years ago, we have had one goal – to end Duchenne," said Pat Furlong, founding president and CEO of PPMD. "Raising awareness is one of the greatest tools we have to fight this horrible disease. Thanks to our seven-year partnership with the AFCA, more people know about Duchenne and more children are being diagnosed at an earlier age.  The coaches that participate in this program are heroes to the Duchenne community. When a coach wears a patch on his arm September 27, he should know that families and friends around the country are cheering for him and thanking him. With the AFCA on our team, we will continue to tackle Duchenne and we couldn't be more grateful."