Memorial Golf Tournament May 19 to Benefit ALS Research at UAMS
| LITTLE ROCK – The 14th 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 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 tournament will benefit research programs through the ALS Clinic and J. Thomas May Center for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research at UAMS.
The cost is $600 per team or $150 per player. To register, or for information, visit www.pauldunnclassic.com or call May Prosper at (501) 526-6323.
The tournament is presented by Simmons First, the Jerry Spears Family, B&B Solutions, Davis Neurology and Capitol Imaging.
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, an avid golfer, witnessed the first two golf tournaments before succumbing to his illness in 2002.
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. and lunch will be provided at noon. Prize categories include closet to the pin, longest drive, hole-in-one and other challenge activities. Awards will be presented immediately after the tournament.
Registration is still open for the morning session. The afternoon session is sold out.
The Paul Dunn Golf Classic has raised more than $600,000 since its inception.
ALS is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease with about 5,000 new patients nationally diagnosed with the disease 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 MDA/ALS Clinic at UAMS follows Arkansans with ALS under the care and direction of Stacy Rudnicki, M.D., and a team of speech, occupational, respiratory and other medical specialists.
UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: 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, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has more than 2,865 students and 785 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.