On Monday, March 29th the Calgary Flames Foundation will direct the proceeds from the Calgary Flames Foundation RE/MAX 50/50 draws to the charitable initiative Snowy Strong. Over one year since Flames Assistant General Manager Chris Snow revealed his ALS diagnosis and his intention to help fund a cure, the Snowy Strong endeavor has raised more than $275,000. The proceeds from tomorrow’s 50/50 draw will be put to work in the pursuit to end ALS by supporting innovative ALS research.
“It’s been nearly two years since Chris was given one year to live, and his life today is in most ways the same as it was that day,” the Snow family said. “Chris’ doctors often call him a miracle because he is doing so well on a drug therapy so new that it is still in the experimental stage. But Chris has had setbacks. And, Chris’ therapy targets only a very specific genetic cause of ALS that accounts for only two percent of all cases. For most ALS patients there is no hope. Having felt that hopelessness, and having lost Chris’ father, two uncles and a younger cousin to this disease, we have made it our mission to do everything we can to help end ALS.”
Earlier this year $200,000 was directed through the Flames Foundation to ALS research at Sunnybrook’s Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program in Toronto. Sunnybrook is home to Canada’s largest ALS clinic and initially enrolled Chris in a groundbreaking gene therapy trial. More than $65,000 of funding is also at work at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, an international leader in research into familial ALS such as Chris’ form of the disease.
The 50/50 raffle draw is open tomorrow from 9:00am until 11:00pm MT for anyone over 18 years old and in Alberta. Tickets can be purchased at www.CalgaryFlames.com/5050 . Calgary Flames Foundation Remax 50/50 draws run every Flames home and away game.