This Saturday, June 2nd, celebrities from the worlds of sports and entertainment will converge on the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California for the 5th annual Dealing for Duchenne charity poker tournament and auction. Cure Duchenne, a non-profit organization which provides funding for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) research, is the organizer of the event and will funnel all proceeds to the Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (CDMD) at UCLA.
DMD is a disease which almost exclusively affects boys, causing muscle degeneration and, in turn, difficulty walking and breathing. Symptoms usually present themselves before the age of five and the average life expectancy for those inflicted is only 25 years. Approximately one in 3,600 boys are diagnosed with DMD. Girls can be affected by DMD, but this is extremely rare.
Paul and Debra Miller founded Cure Duchenne in 2003, just months after their son was diagnosed with DMD in November 2002. On the organization’s website, they write, “When we got our son’s diagnosis, the pain was unbelievable. We always had faith, but we never truly knew how much we would have to rely on it. We respect and welcome people of all faiths and beliefs, and hope that they are provided the comfort needed to get through these difficult times. Saving these boys has become our life’s work.”
Last year, Cure Duchenne funded over $1 million in DMD research.
Celebrities scheduled to attend include former Kara DioGuardi, Michael Rappaport, Anne Heche, Paul Reiser, Seal, Mandy Moore, Kelli Williams, Oliver Hudson, James Tupper, Josh Malina, and Clay Matthews III. Football fans may remember Matthews, one of the stars of the Green Bay Packers, appearing in commercials for Duchenne during the NFL season.
Actor Joel Murray, who has appeared in many films and television shows including Mad Men, Still Standing, and Dharma & Greg, will serve as master of ceremonies.
“We look forward to another successful Dealing for Duchenne event,” said Amy Martin, co-chair of Dealing for Duchenne, in a press release. “We put our heart and soul into this event because we believe real treatments are on the horizon, and we are grateful to CureDuchenne and the CDMD at UCLA for working together to provide a place where research and translational medicine can coexist and eventually treat our children.”
This weekend’s event will honor Josh Bohbot, a brave 22-year old living with Duchenne. Bohbot was diagnosed at age 6 and was confined to a wheelchair at age 10.
In addition to the poker tournament, which starts at 6:15pm, there will be other casino games such as blackjack and roulette available. The other highlight of the night is the auction, where attendees can bid on exclusive packages including a Caddyshack Tournament for two (Joel Murray is the brother of Bill Murray, the star of the film Caddyshack), an AmaWaterways European cruise for two, and a Yellowstone Club Winter Private Powder Vacation for four.
Individual tickets for the event cost $175 while tables of ten will run $2,500. Doors open at 6:00pm.
