Chicago, June 30, 2023 – Cure SMA receives a surprise gift in the amount of $500,181 from the Luke 18:1 Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization founded in Dallas, TX, at the 2023 SMA Annual Conference.
The Luke 18:1 Foundation was created by Daniel and Nicole Stickane in honor of their son, Luke, who was diagnosed with SMA type 1 in 2017. The Luke 18:1 Foundation was created for the purpose of finding a cure for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord and impacts the muscles used for activities such as breathing, eating, crawling, and walking. Their mission is to work together as a community to find a cure for SMA through raising awareness, funding research, and supporting individuals and families.
Each year, the Luke 18:1 Foundation hosts multiple fundraising events to raise funds to support their mission. The organization’s most notable event is the Annual Links 4 Luke Golf Tournament hosted in Southlake, TX at Timarron Country Club that brings together Luke’s family, friends, and supporters for a day of golfing, fellowship, and fun to raise funds for the Luke 18:1 Foundation. This year, the 2023 Links 4 Luke Golf Tournament raised over $600,000 for SMA research, programs, and care. In partnership with Cure SMA, the Luke 18:1 Foundation has granted $500,181 to advance priority objectives of funding groundbreaking basic SMA research and care programs in 2023.
Since 2018, the Luke 18:1 Foundation has been a supporter of Cure SMA and has granted over $1.5 million to Cure SMA to fund breakthroughs in SMA research, support programs, and care.
About Cure SMA:
Cure SMA is dedicated to the treatment and cure of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Since 1984, Cure SMA has grown to be the largest U.S.-based network of individuals, families, clinicians, and research scientists working together to advance SMA research, support individuals and families impacted by SMA, and educate public and professional communities about SMA. Cure SMA funds and directs comprehensive research that drives breakthroughs in treatment, advances access to high-quality care, provides practical support programs, and advocates for the needs of the SMA community. Learn more at www.curesma.org.