The Children’s Fund GSD Golf Classic and “Speakeasy Club” will take place on Friday, April 19 at the Heron Bay Golf Club and Marriott Hotel in Coral Springs.  This year’s golf tournament will take on an MLB theme to celebrate the beginning of baseball season. Prizes will be awarded to the top Division winners, Wild Card winners, and the overall World Series Champs. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with a 1:15 shotgun start.

The “Speakeasy Club”, a 1920s-themed dinner with open bar, live and silent auctions and authentic Casino tables will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel.  Guests must pre-register in order to receive the password required for entry.  

This fantastic day is organized and hosted by Lisa and Sandy Hodes, a Parkland couple whose two daughters live with a rare metabolic disorder called Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD).  There are different types of GSD but all stem from one problem:  a defective or missing enzyme that doesn’t allow the body to metabolize stored glucose properly. A vey strict diet is the only way to manage life with GSD.  Most require a source of glucose every 2-3 hours, around the clock. Poor glucose control, a missed meal, or a simple cold or flu can spiral into a life-threatening situation if not treated properly.  

Established in 2002, The Children’s Fund for Glycogen Storage Disease Research is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) foundation committed to funding research so that children born with GSD1 will benefit from early detection, treatment and an eventual cure.  “We’re making progress,” says Hodes, Vice President and Fundraising Chair for the foundation, and golf/speakeasy event Chairwoman. “This summer, FDA approval of a new dietary therapeutic product marked the most significant development for GSD patients in over 30 years.” Gene Therapy studies funded by The Children’s Fund have had promising results, and researchers are in the planning stages of human clinical trials to begin early next year.

These human clinical trials are expected to cost approximately $5 million to execute.   “For a well-known illness or disease with a large supporting foundation, this isn’t a lot of money.  For The Children’s Fund, it is an enormous number. Lack of awareness limits our reach and creates a serious challenge for our organization.” All money raised by The Children’s Fund, the only organization funding GSD research, comes from local fundraising events like The Children’s Fund GSD Golf Classic & “Speakeasy Club.” 

Sponsorship packages are available from $1,000 to $15,000 levels.  Golf is $275 per person or $1,000 per foursome. Tickets for the Speakeasy Club are $150 or $1,250 for a table of 10. To purchase tickets or to learn more about how you can help, please visit www.cureGSD.org or contact Lisa Hodes at [email protected] or (954) 263-1631.

 

APRIL 19

Heron Bay Golf CLub & Marriott Hotel

11AM

954.263.1631