Last April the annual Striking Courage Bowlathon filled Candlewood Lanes with positive energy, smiling faces, and most importantly, with hope. This year we invite everyone to join us for an evening of fundraising and to spread the word and raise awareness and support for those battling Friedreich’s Ataxia. We hope you can join us this year!
Join the FA Project for our 4th Annual Striking Courage Bowlathon on April 6, 2013 from 7-11pm at Candlewood Lanes in North Reading, MA. Tickets are $25 and include a fun-filled evening of unlimited bowling, delicious food catered by the famous Kelly’s Roast Beef, great raffles, T-shirts and a DJ! Also included: cash bar, soft drinks, water, wine and a special seasonal offering by local brewers Wormtown Brewery.
Join the fun and bring friends! Tickets can be purchased online until April 5, 2013. This is a 21 plus event.
| Purchase Bowlathon 2013 Tickets |
If you’d like to sponsor this event, you can send a check made payable to The FA Project Inc. or sponsor online at www.THEFAPROJECT.org/sponsor.html.
All sponsorships are also tax deductible (TIN: 26-4373585).
Platinum Sponsor – $400
As a platinum sponsor your name will be posted above a lane during the event, printed on the back of a T-shirt and a link to your business on our website.
Gold – $200
As a gold sponsor your name will be posted above a lane during the event and a link to your business on our website.
Silver – $100
As a silver sponsor your name will be posted above a lane during the event.
By Maria Currier
In 1998, my husband was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a progressive life altering disease that causes damage to the nervous system. Ever since then, we’ve been searching long and hard for ways to fight this terrible disease. We reached out to friends and family and through our combined efforts we founded The FA Project, Inc. The FA Project is a 501(C)(3) Charitable Organization committed to raising awareness and helping those afflicted with Friedreich’s Ataxia. During the past four years our all-volunteer organization has raised over $75,000! These funds have been distributed directly to the FA community and supported those affected in a variety of ways.
You can help us in many ways. One is through a donation.
Your donation will further our goals of providing financial support for individuals and their families by obtaining travel grants to visit specialists, defraying the costs of medical expenses, and providing wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment. If you’d like to donate, you can send a check made payable to The FA Project Inc. or donate online at www.THEFAPROJECT.org/donate.html. All donations are tax deductible (TIN: 26-4373585), and your generosity will play a role in the efforts to help those afflicted with Friedreich’s Ataxia live the best life possible.
If you’d like to sponsor our upcoming Annual Striking Courage Bowlathon on April 6, 2013 at Candlewood Lanes in North Reading, you can send a check made payable to The FA Project Inc. or sponsor online at www.THEFAPROJECT.org/sponsor.html. All sponsorships are also tax deductible (TIN: 26-4373585).
Platinum Sponsor – $400
As a platinum sponsor your name will be posted above a lane during the event, printed on the back of a T-shirt and a link to your business on our website.
Gold – $200
As a gold sponsor your name will be posted above a lane during the event and a link to your business on our website.
Silver – $100
As a silver sponsor your name will be posted above a lane during the event.
Thank you so much for your support, please respond by March 22, 2013.
Sincerely,
Maria Currier
News From Richie Currier
For me and the FA Project team, this spring has been really busy. We started off by holding our annual Bowlathon on April 9th. This is a fun event every year and this year was no exception! The proceeds from this year’s event are already partially disbursed to those in need within the FA community. We continued the momentum on April 28th, when I attended Project Adventure in Beverly MA with 30 people directly involved in the FA community. We participated in many team building exercises as well as some individual events. As you can see in the photo below, I had a lot of fun!
Next, we held a combined event with the O’Neil family in support of FARA and the FAProject. At this event I presented a check for $1000 to the Hook family from Indiana from the FAProject. For the past 3 years the Hook family has hosted FAWoodstock which is 3 day event attended by over 100 people/families whose lives have been affected by FA. Our contribution helps lower costs for the hosting family! The same day of our combined event, there was also a fundraiser in New Jersey. The FA Project sponsored travel arrangements for a young woman living with FA. Our sponsorship allowed her to attend this event and spend time with others in the FA community!
On June 30th, I will be taking part in Patrick Cogan’s 100 Mile Ride to aid FARA in finding a cure!
We have many outreach projects in the works, so please stay tuned!
Well it has been roughly 5 and a half months since my last blog post and I
didn’t hold true to my new year’s resolution, but now I am back and as committed as ever!
In the past 5 and a half months, my wife Maria and I welcomed our third
beautiful daughter into this world, moved into our new home and began
planning two fundraisers for this upcoming spring. Although our work
at home is constant with three young children, our dedication and
perseverance to the FA Project, our family and the FA community at
large is stronger than ever. We will never stop believing that we
will reach our goal of finding a cure for Friedreich’s Ataxia!
Until that day comes, Maria and I will continue to work on making our
goal a reality, but we need your help. When I think back to 2011, I
am proud of our accomplishments and I am inspired to move forward. One
of the highlights of last year was our donation of a power wheel chair
to a wonderful young man who suffers form Friedreich’s Ataxia. What
he said when he received the chair still brings a tear to my eye.
“You guys changed my life, I can now work and feel a sense of
independence that I haven’t felt in quite some time.” Freedom was his gift.
The FA Project exists for opportunities like this one to help others.
It is what keeps us going!
To make a donation or inquire about becoming a sponsor email us!
As the sun set over the Boston skyline on Saturday, Boston’s Best Cruises’ Voyager III set sail for an evening of generosity and hope. On board, guests for The FA Project’s first ever Fundraising Cruise joined together to enjoy a harbor cruise and support the work of tireless advocates Richie Currier and his wife Maria.
Starting in Boston, the Voyager III headed to Winthrop to pick up guest of honor, Richie, and his family. The backdrop of the lights of Boston and a crisp early fall breeze along with Boys Like Girls guitarist Paul DiGiovanni’s jazz music stylings set the tone for a perfect night to mix and mingle with FA supporters, Richie and the Currier family and be in the company of friends with a common goal.
Guests were also treated to the premiere of “There is No Limit,” a movie trailer show, edited and directed by Laidlaw Group, chronicling Richie’s daily life and the incredible feats he and The FA Project have been able to accomplish to support individuals suffering from Friedreich’s Ataxia. Glancing around at the attendee’s faces as the trailer played, it was impossible to miss the clear sense of admiration and awe all attendees felt for the guest of honor. Despite his own personal struggle with FA, as the trailer showcased, Richie’s focus is never on himself but on how he can better the lives of others. Focusing on the blessings of his wife Maria and his children, his entire family and the wonderful support from his co-workers at the State including his friend and adviser, Brian Hickey, Richie spoke only about continuing forward with The FA Project, reaching out to more sufferers of the disease and improving their lives.
A wonderful night for a wonderful cause. If you are interested in learning more about The FA Project or donating to the organization, visit The FA Project website.
By Richie Currier
A dream is becoming a reality for the FA Project. We’ve talked about making a film for quite awhile and now it is happening.
Yesterday, I met with Cindy Laidlaw who is the owner and principal of the Laidlaw Group, our marketing firm, and Brian Hickey, an adviser and friend. We reviewed the storyboard (kind of exciting to see it for the first time) and talked about locations for filming. This documentary is about me living with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA). It’s an opportunity to for me to give you a glimpse into my world and educate people about FA and hopefully get their help and support.
As a side note, we met at Scholars Restaurant on School Street in downtown Boston, and I would highly recommend the restaurant to anyone – great food, great service and great owners!
Born in Winthrop, MA, Richie Currier grew up like any other kid. With a passion for sports at an early age, Richie played baseball, basketball and soccer throughout his childhood. By his mid teens he found out that unlike earlier in his life, he couldn’t quite perform at the same level as his friends in sports. During a routine physical examination his freshman year at Salem State, the doctors discovered that Richie had a rare inherited disease that affected his nervous system called Friedreich’s Ataxia. Although tough to hear at first, it didn’t stop Richie from graduating college or going forward with his life. Instead of giving up, Richie decided to give back and help others who live with Friedrich’s Ataxia by founding The FA Project. Whether it’s providing power chairs to suffers of FA or supporting other FA organizations, the FA Project gives whatever they can to better the lives of people affected by Friedreich’s Ataxia. Richie now resides in Melrose with his family and is a full time employee of the State of Massachusetts.
This year, the FA Project donated $3,500 to the 2011 Ataxian Athlete Initiative (AAI). Richie answered a few questions to tell us more about what the AAI is and their partnership with Ride Ataxia, a group that raises money and awareness for FA by cycling across the country.
How did you first learn about Ride Ataxia?
I first heard about Ride Ataxia through the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA). I was impressed by what they were doing. The Ride Ataxia Team takes weekend cycle rides all over the country, educating the public about Friedreich’s Ataxia by drawing attention through physical acts of endurance. Ride Ataxia raises funds for the advancement of ataxia research in hopes to find a cure for the disease. The group has inspired many, traveling over 3,500 miles while raising over $800,000 for ataxia research. Kyle Brant, who was diagnosed with FA at the age of 17, founded the program.
Tell us about your friend Kyle.
Kyle has a passion for sports, just like me. He too was diagnosed with ataxia around his senior year of high school, but was adamant about not letting the disease take over his life. Although he was unable to ride a regular bike, he discovered the three wheeled trike that allowed him ride and enjoy the freedom that came with it. In 2007, he and his father began Ride Ataxia by venturing on a 2,500 mile, 60 day cycling journey from San Diego to the National Ataxia Foundation Annual Meeting in Memphis, TN. I thought to myself, “I have to meet this guy.”
What exactly is the Ataxian Athlete Initiative?
The AAI is a program that funds the purchases of adaptive cycling for aspiring Ataxian athletes. Administered through a grant application process, individuals must have been diagnosed with some form of ataxia to qualify. This year, I am proud to say that the FA Project has been able to support AAI with a $3,500 donation.
Isn’t it true that you yourself have started riding?
I have. After seeing what riding has done for Kyle, I had to get a trike. I started slow at first, taking a 3-mile ride around Deer Island Park in Winthrop. I loved it! The trike gave me a sense of independence and freedom that I haven’t felt in a long time. I plan to keep riding and look forward to our partnership with Ride Ataxia and FARA.
To learn more about Ride Ataxia and the 2011 Ataxian Athlete Initiative, go online at http://rideataxia.org/aai.php and become a fan on Facebook and follower on Twitters
At The FA Project, our ultimate goal is to provide those living with Friedreich’s Ataxia the tools and resources necessary to lead the best life possible. In 2010, Rose Chonka and her family contacted us with an interest in donating a power wheelchair to the FA Project. Upon receiving the news, we contacted the FA Clinic at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital to find a new owner for this wonderful gift. Sure enough, a young Virginia man named Joe Vaughn had been seeking a chair so that he could have more mobility and independence in his life. With our help, we were able to Joe fulfill his wishes. A few months later, we received an email from Joe, who had recently been able to get a job at Wal-Mart with his increased mobility, exclaiming, “The chair is the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”
In 2011, The FA Project received another power chair donation from Jamie Plourde and her family. Reaching out through the FA Project Facebook page, we were able to contact and donate the chair to the Morris family who were seeking a power chair for their daughter Bridget. Very thankful for the donation, the Morris family let us know that Bridget was doing great, sending us a picture of her using her new chair.
This July, the FA Project contacted Accessible Design & Consulting, Inc, a California-based company that specializes in modifying homes and commercial buildings to improve accessibility and independence for seniors and the disabled as well as providing those in need with products to increase mobility and safety. With their help, we were able to acquire a 2007 Jazzy Select Power Chair and send it to a young man with Friedreich’s Ataxia named Geoff Fox (pictured above). Upon its arrival, his mother Marianne informed us that he has been using the chair, riding it around everywhere with a huge smile on his face!
By Richie Currier
On Wednesday, July 27th, I attended my first Boston Bloggers event at 28 Degrees in Boston’s South End sponsored by Boston Bloggers and co-hosted by Boston Bloggers founder Kinsey Michaels. Boston Bloggers is a group of entertainment and nightlife bloggers in Boston. I am new to the world of blogging with the FA Project just recently launched the blog you are reading right now.
The weather was perfect and 28 Degrees owner Carl Christian was the host of the evening. In addition to his restaurant business, he is the founder of In Classic Style, an online magazine that focuses on unique hotels, restaurants and culture from around the world. Carl was amazing and welcoming, I would have to say the perfect host. As the Bloggers mingled in the cocktail lounge and enjoyed appetizers, I had the opportunity to meet lots of new people and get lots of advice about entering the world of blogging!
My plan is to regularly post articles on this blog. I want to share my experiences, challenges and accomplishments with our readers, and I invite our readers to share their thoughts and experiences with me.