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Event Honoring Joe and Sue Paterno for Their Lifetime of Achievement Raises over $350,000 for CMT Research
 | Sue Paterno and CMTA CEO Dave Hall look on
as “Joe Pa” tells our guests, “We can cure it.
It will take a little money.... The good news
is we have the money. The bad news
is it's in your pocket.” |
The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association’s second annual “Honor a Star. Be a Star.” Gala recognizing Joe and Sue Paterno for a lifetime of achievement raised a record amount of over $350,000 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City on April 29. Proceeds from the Gala will be used to support the CMTA’s Strategy to Accelerate Research (STAR™), an ambitious initiative that has been created to develop new treatments for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder (CMT).
Nearly 200 people were in attendance as Hall of Fame Football Coach Joe Paterno and his wife Sue were honored for their generous contributions to the CMTA. Joe Paterno has served as national spokesperson for the CMTA over the past several years.
“The CMTA is proud to have Joe as its official spokesperson,” said David Hall, Chief Executive Officer of the CMTA, “and we’re extremely grateful and appreciative of all that Joe and Sue have done not just for the CMTA, but for countless other organizations and communities.”
Highlights of the evening included opening and closing vocal performances by 13-year-old CMT patient Amy de Silva, a moving video-tribute, and the presentation of the 2009 “Honor a Star. Be a Star.” Award to the Paternos.
Guests also received the latest scientific updates on medical advances in CMT from leading STAR researchers Drs. Michael Shy and Steven Scherer, who announced that the first STAR project—the creation of a cell line for use in high-throughput screening at the NIH—has been completed and that the cells have been delivered to the NIH.
We were also fortunate, through the generosity of our sponsors, to be able to invite several support group leaders and CMTA members from the greater NY area. One member, attending his first CMTA event, captured the enthusiasm generated by the Paternos and the STAR news when he said, “What you are doing here is remarkable, and I am definitely going to be involved from now on.” |
