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- Posted Friday April 29, 2016
Northeast Arizona schools roundup copper coins for children's research at TGen
White Mountain area schools hold week-long 'Penny Wars' to help children with rare genetic disorders
LAKESIDE, Ariz. - April 29, 2016 - Who says
pennies don't matter. The student councils at northeast Arizona's
Blue Ridge and Snowflake school districts are sponsoring a
Penny Wars fundraiser May 2-6 for the Belnap Foundation,
which supports research for children with rare genetic
disorders.
Last year's Penny Wars drew so much enthusiastic support
that some local banks ran short of copper coins. This year, they're
stocking up.
White Mountain area residents Newell and Becky Belnap, whose
children attend Blue Ridge schools, created the Belnap Foundation,
which supports research and treatment at the Center for Rare
Childhood Disorders (C4RCD), an initiative of the Phoenix-based
non-profit Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Details about TGen's program for children can be found at www.c4rcd.org.
"This fundraiser will raise money for research, increase
awareness, and honor the students who fight a daily battle with a
rare disease," said Newell Belnap, President and Co-Founder of the
Belnap Foundation.
Two of Newell and Becky's four children - Sydney and Seth - have a
rare mutation, identified by TGen, that causes a form of
mitochondrial disease, which affects the powerhouse of the body's
cells.
The more than 7,000 identified rare diseases affect 1 in 10
Americans, more than AIDS and cancer combined. The National
Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that half of those affected by
rare diseases are children, making rare diseases one of the most
deadly and debilitating disorders for children worldwide.
Thirty percent of children with a rare disease will not live to
see their first day of kindergarten. These diseases are
significantly underfunded, often leaving patients with no options
for treatment.
"There are many children and adults living in our community that
suffer from these types of diseases," Newell Belnap said. "We are
asking businesses to actively participate in these fundraising
events."
Suggested activities are: tax-deductible donations, food or prize
donations, including prizes to students for fundraising and
awareness efforts; providing containers so customers can donate
their change; or dedicating a percentage of sales.
For additional information about how to help, please contact
Newell Belnap at 928-242-3432, Danae Cessna at 928-358-3749, or
Nate Updike at 602-214-2806. Please also visit the Belnap
Foundation website at: http://belnapfoundation.org/.
Along with the Belnap family, TGen has sequenced and analyzed the
genomes of more than 300 children, providing diagnosis for their
families and physicians in nearly 40 percent, almost triple the
national average for such cases.
"We are grateful to the Belnap family and to all of the wonderful
people of the White Mountains area who support this incredibly
heartwarming event," said TGen Foundation President Michael
Bassoff.
# # #
About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org. Follow TGen onFacebook,LinkedInandTwitter @TGen.
Media Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
