Cure SMA is thrilled to have recently been featured in the National Football League’s (NFL) My Cause My Cleats campaign. Through this fantastic initiative, players select a charitable organization and cause of choice, in order to increase awareness by wearing cleats decorated in honor of that cause.
For Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back, and Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts General Manager, the cause of choice was spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Cure SMA.
During the most recent offseason, Rachaad developed a close relationship with a local Tampa family, the Schnyders, whose daughter Emma is living with SMA. Speaking with Tampa’s WTFLA News, Rachaad said, “Ryan and his family mean a lot. Just to see Emma defeat the odds means a lot to me, so I’m a huge advocate for Cure SMA.”
“It means the world to us. Advocacy for Cure SMA is a huge thing. Not a lot of people know about the disease our daughter has and for us to get the message out about newborn screening and early awareness is powerful—the sooner you know the better,” said Ryan.
Cure SMA would like to thank Rachaad White, Chris Ballard, the Buccaneers, and the Colts for their support of Cure SMA and the SMA community.
When asked about Cure SMA and the SMA community, Rachaad said, “They have a supporter in me for sure.”
About My Cause My Cleats
The NFL started My Cause My Cleats in 2016 with the goal of celebrating the positive impact players can make in their local communities and the public at large. According to the NFL, “My Cause My Cleats allows players to express their commitment to the causes that matter the most to them.”
