By Liz Gore
NFL Legend Jessie Armstead and Hamilton Honda Help Raise Money for Ryan’s Quest Charity
Fundraiser Seeks Golfers for May 13th Event at Mercer Oaks Golf Course
Hamilton, NJ March 22, 2011—Hamilton Honda is once again sponsoring this year’s Ryan’s Quest Charitable Golf Outing and Auction on May 13, 2011 at Mercer Oaks Golf Course in West Windsor, New Jersey. In addition to former New York Giants legend Jesse Armstead, last year’s event also included professional football players Antonio Pierce, Rodney Hampton, Chase Blackburn, Jonathan Goff and Jeremiah Trotter and was attended by more than 200 golfers and dinner guests.
Ryan’s Quest is a local organization founded by Hamilton residents David and Maria Schultz on behalf of their son Ryan and thousands of other young children stricken with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal disorder for which there is no cure or treatment.
DMD is a severe form of Muscular Dystrophy characterized by rapid progression of muscle degeneration, eventually leading to loss of ambulation and death. This affliction affects one in 3,500 males, making it the most prevalent of muscular dystrophies.
Symptoms usually appear in male children before age 5 and may be visible in early infancy. Progressive muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis associated with a loss of muscle mass is observed first. Eventually this weakness spreads to the arms, neck, and other areas. As the condition progresses, muscle tissue experiences wasting and is eventually replaced by fat and fibrotic tissue. By age 10, braces may be required to aid in walking but most patients are wheelchair dependent by age 12. Due to progressive deterioration of muscle, loss of movement occurs eventually leading to paralysis. The average life expectancy for patients afflicted with DMD varies from late teens to early to mid 20s. There have been reports of a few DMD patients surviving to the age of 40, but this is extremely rare.
“One hundred percent of the funds raised by Ryan’s Quest goes to medical research,” says Armstead, who co-owns Hamilton Honda along with partner Michael Saporito. “We are going to do our part to further help fund research and to raise much needed awareness for this disease. Our goal this year is to exceed last year’s successes by raising more money and calling more attention to DMD, which is the number one killer of children worldwide, yet remains under the radar.”
According to the Schultz’s in a statement on their website, “We see hope for a future of support … where family, friends, community members and legislators will rally behind these young boys and fight this disease. We hope for a future of opportunity … that Ryan and other boys affected by Duchenne will succeed in what life has to offer. We see hope for a future of enlightenment … that others will learn to value each minute of life as a precious gift! The small things really do not matter.
We see hope for a future of good judgment … that decisions will be made in the best interests of these boys.
We see hope for a future of discovery … that a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy will be found. As parents of a child with DMD, there are two things that help us to face and fight this disease for our son Ryan … the happiness we see in his smile and the hope we see in his eyes.”
You can join this quest to ultimately cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by participating in the Ryan’s Quest Golf Outing on May 13th as an individual golfer, a foursome, an auction/dinner attendee, sponsor or volunteer. The golf tournment is a Texas Scramble with a $165 entry fee per golfer. Prizes include VIP on field game tickets for a Giants football game and a 2011 Honda Accord LX for the first hole in one. Dinner guests are $75 each and sponsorships start at $100. For details visit www.ryansquest.org (click on link to Upcoming Events)or call 609-947-3611.

