Thank you for visiting the Gals for Cal fundraising page!
We are a group of women, connected through friendship, raising money to fight Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in honor of a 9 year old boy named Calvin. Together we all finished the Danskin Women's Triathlon on July 24, 2011! We Challenged Ourselves and Challenged Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This team connects with other women, supports our friends fighting DMD and most importantly WE are making a difference in the lives of Calvin (our initial inspiration), his friends Jett, Keelan, Jake, Max, Sam, Ben, Eddie, Liam, and the 20,000 other young boys like him.
Calvin was diagnosed with DMD, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, when he was 5 years old. Duchenne is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood. It is a very progressive muscle wasting disease primarily affecting boys. Most boys are wheelchair dependent by age 12 and most do not live beyond their 20's. There is no treatment or cure to change the inevitable course of this disease.
Calvin’s parents, Cindy and Curt Quitzau, have found tremendous support with the Jett Foundation and a woman named Christine McSherry who, after her son Jett was diagnosed, started a foundation dedicated to fighting this devastating disease. The Jett Foundation, in collaboration with Mass General Hospital, recently opened a new multidisciplinary coordinated care clinic dedicated to helping boys with DMD. This clinic is the first of its kind in New England. The foundation is also supporting cutting edge research to fight this disorder.
We are raising funds for the Jett Foundation to support scientific research and clinical care provided at Mass General Hospital, thru the Jett Program for Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders, to help all the boys living with Duchenne to live longer, healthier lives.
Our Story
We started as a few friends of the Quitzau family wanting to do "something" to help their young son, Calvin, who at age 5 was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, DMD, and have blossomed into a whole "team" of women called The Gals For Cal, helping 20,000 boys diagnosed with Duchenne!
In 2009, our inagaral year, we brought together 20 women along with Calvin's mother, Cindy, to do our first triathlon as a team with the purpose of raising awareness and funds for Duchenne research. Most of the Gals had never done any sports related races previously. In fact, most of us were not even athletes and had to learn to swim, bike and run to participate! In 2010, we grew our team to 50 Gals and added 2 more mothers of young sons with DMD.
On July 24, 2011 the team completed their 3rd triathlon together as The Gals For Cal at the Danskin Women's Triathlon in Webster, MA. We grew from 20 Gals in 2009 to over 100 Gals in 2011, and 85 competed in this years Tri. Also in 2011, 7 of the Gals are mothers of boys with Duchenne--mothers without an athletic record! 2011 is shaping up to be our most exciting year yet! We thank you for your support so we can continue our fight!
Our Inspiration
Calvin is now 9 years old. He is an adorable boy who is witty, talkative, and friendly. He is the first born of triplet siblings--being one minute older than his brother and sister is a position he takes seriously! Calvin inspires us because he never complains about his growing struggles and doesn't want special attention (like a piggy back up the stairs because of his progressing weakness).
Each day, a part of Calvin's muscles is dying and by the time he is 12, like most boys with Duchenne, he will loose the ability to walk. As the disease progresses, brushing his own teeth, feeding himself, even picking up a book to read will become impossible for him to do alone. The typical course of Duchenne also affects respiratory function and since the heart is a muscle too, eventually it will fail. Most boys with Duchenne do not live past their teens or twenties.
Cal's daily struggles are growing, yet he is always upbeat and finds humor in just about everything. After a day of sledding and snowmobiling, Calvin exclaimed, "Yeah, I'm livin' large!" Calvin, YOU inspire us to "live large" everyday and help make a difference in the lives of the 20,000 boys living with Duchenne!
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts. Many thanks for your support of the Gals for Cal -- and thanks for caring about and giving hope to the 20,000 boys fighting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Thank you for your support!
Please also visit our website: http://www.galsforcal.com
contact us: galsforcal1@verizon.net