Golf Tournament to Benefit ALS Research at UAMS

By todd

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LITTLE ROCK – The eighth annual Paul Dunn Golf Classic, to benefit the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) search for better treatments and a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), will be held May 19. The tournament is presented by Simmons First, the Jerry Spears Family and C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics.

The tournament and auction are held in memory of Arkansas native Paul Dunn and others who have fought the battle against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. All proceeds from the classic will benefit research programs through the ALS Clinic and Research Center at UAMS.

The cost is $500 per team or $125 per person. To register or for information, visit www.pauldunnclassic.com, or call Cathy Sanders at (501) 526-7399.

Upon being diagnosed with the disease in 2000, 28-year-old Paul Dunn asked his friends and fraternity brothers to help him raise money to fight ALS. Dunn witnessed the first two golf tournaments before succumbing to his illness in 2002.


“This year will be the most successful tournament to date. Our goal is to continue raising funds for research and treatment until a cure is found,” said Jerry Spears, sponsor and chair of this year’s tournament.



The golf tournament will be held at Maumelle Country Club, 100 Club Manor Drive, in Maumelle. Registration and a light breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. followed by the first shotgun start at 8 a.m. Lunch and an awards ceremony are scheduled for 11 a.m.

Registration for the second round begins at noon with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m., followed by pizza and awards from 4:30-6 p.m.
The Paul Dunn Golf Classic & Auction has raised more than $170,000 since its inception. Organizers hope to raise $50,000 this year.


 


The annual auction, which had previously been held in conjunction with the golf tournament and also benefits research at UAMS, has been moved to October this year. The Cure for ALS Silent/Live Auction will be held Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 1100 Napa Valley Drive in Little Rock.


 


Tickets to the auction are $30. Each golfer in the Paul Dunn Golf Classic receives a complementary ticket to the October auction



Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease affecting as many as 350,000 people worldwide. About 5,000 new cases occur each year. ALS destroys cells that control voluntary muscles, which leads to severe muscle wasting and paralysis. Death typically results within three to five years of diagnosis, usually from respiratory complications. The cause of ALS isn’t fully understood, and no cure exists.

The ALS Clinic and Research Center at UAMS follows approximately 85 Arkansans with ALS under the care and direction of Stacy Rudnicki, M.D., and a team of speech, occupational, respiratory and other medical specialists. Research and clinical trials conducted by John P. Crow, Ph.D., and other scientists at UAMS help create new paths and provide hope to finding better treatments and a cure for ALS.


 


UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,538 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 9,600 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. For more information, visit www.uams.edu.