Central Islip, N.Y. - For the men's lacrosse teams in the East Coast Conference, the 2017 will be an opportunity for these squads and their supporters to come together to raise awareness and funds for a great cause; the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
This year’s conference fundraising effort was suggested by Dominican College Head Coach, Marcelo Sandoval, and Associate Head Coach, Daniel Steigert. In April of 2016, Michael Coffey of Dominican College passed away from complications due to Muscular Dystrophy. Coffey was an Assistant Sports Information Director and Assistant Basketball Coach at Dominican. He was also a big fan and supporter of the men’s lacrosse team and the sport of lacrosse.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association works to raise awareness and funds to help battle neuromuscular diseases. Muscular dystrophies are a group of inherited diseases that damage and weaken your muscles over time. This damage and weakness is due to the lack of a protein called dystrophin, which is necessary for normal muscle function. The absence of this protein can cause problems with walking, swallowing, and muscle coordination. There are more than 30 different kinds of muscular dystrophies, which vary in symptoms and severity.
Muscular dystrophy can occur at any age, but most diagnoses occur in childhood, primarily in boys. The prognosis for muscular dystrophy depends on the type and the severity of symptoms. However, most individuals with muscular dystrophy do lose the ability to walk and eventually require a wheelchair. Currently, there is no cure for muscular dystrophy, but medications and therapy can help manage symptoms and slow the course of the disease until a cure is found.
Today, the MDA is finding research breakthroughs across all neuromuscular diseases, caring for kids and adults from day one, empowering families with services and support and hosting many events to raise funds and awareness.
During the 2017 season, conference schools will look to raise funds during selected home games through ticket sales, raffles, and 50/50’s. These funds will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
For more information on the Muscular Dystrophy Association, please visit www.MDA.org.
