Simply put, we golf in the hope that Blake and others like her will someday beat SMA. Blake is a vibrant, beautiful, fun-loving 12-year-old girl who likes the same things all her friends do. She loves to dance, sing, play, laugh, and tell a joke. She loves princesses, horses, her pets, and her sisters. She loves her soccer team and loves to tell people about the goals she scores from her wheelchair. Although she is very talented at many things, our little blue-eyed shining star was born with a genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMA is a muscular disease that robs people like Blake of their physical strength and leaves them unable to perform basic functions like walking, eating and breathing. SMA affects about 1 in 11,000 babies, and about 1 in every 50 Americans is a genetic carrier. It affects every race and gender. Although there is no cure for SMA, there’s great reason for hope.

Thanks to the dedication of our community and the ingenuity of our researchers, we now have the first-ever approved treatment that targets the underlying genetics of SMA. But our work is not done. We know what we need to do to develop and deliver effective therapies. And we’re on the verge of further breakthroughs that will continue to change the course of SMA for everyone affected—from infants to adults—and eventually lead to a cure. So please join us on Saturday, July 29 for Birdies for Blake. Or please make a donation if you can’t join us. All proceeds benefit Cure SMA. Please help us make it possible for Blake to someday score a goal on her own two feet.

Learn more about how you can help us continue funding treatment and cure at www.cureSMA.org.