Based in Buffalo, NY, the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Team (SMART) is a grass roots organization started in 2009 to raise awareness and funds for research aimed at finding a cure for SMA & related diseases.
SMART is an all-volunteer organization of friends and family with the mission of providing hope for a better life, new treatments and ultimately a cure for those affected by SMA.
In August, SMART held their 7th Annual SMART Celebration, raising $150,000 in support of SMA research. This afternoon of family fun was held at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres.
Through their annual celebration and other creative fundraisers, SMART has raised an impressive $750,000 to support SMA research.
Supporting the Next Steps in SMA Research
Recently, SMART donated $50,000 to Cure SMA to support a research grant to Dr. Chad Heatwole at the nearby University of Rochester. Dr. Heatwole’s project will focus on developing a reliable method for adults with SMA to report on clinical trial outcomes that are important to them.
As more SMA drug programs progress to clinical trials, it becomes critically important to develop ways of accurately measuring whether or not the treatment is successful. These “outcome measures” must be developed for individuals of all different types, ages, and severity of SMA.
SMART’s generous donation—part of $220,000 total that Cure SMA granted for clinical trial outcome measures in our most recent round of funding—is crucial to helping us take the next steps between therapies in development and an FDA-approved treatment for SMA.
We congratulate SMART on reaching $750,000 raised, and thank them for their generous support of Cure SMA.
To learn more about SMART and their upcoming events, visit www.smarthope.com.