Welcome to the
GALS FOR CAL
2012 Triathlon Team
Challenging Ourselves,
Challenging Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
The Gals For Cal 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 and have blossomed into a whole "team" of women called The Gals For Cal, helping 20,000 boys diagnosed with Duchenne!
In 2009, our inagural year, we brought together 20 women along with Calvin's mother, to do our first triathlon as a team with the purpose of raising awareness and funds for Duchenne research and clinical care. Most of the Gals had never competed in 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! By 2011 we grew our team to over 100 Gals and have been joined by several other mothers of Duchenne!
It just keeps getting better!
2012 is shaping up to be our most exciting year yet as we take on greater personal physical challenges and continue to grow the largest all women's triathlon team
TRI-ing to END DUCHENNE!
On July 22, The Gals will compete in our 4th sprint triathlon together raising funds to support the mission of the Jett Foundation. Please consider supporting us with a tax decuctable donation.
Our Inspiration
Meet Calvin. Calvin is now 10 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, some of Calvin's muscles are dying and by the time he is 12, like most boys with Duchenne, he is expected to lose the ability to walk independantly. 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!
Your generous donations will help propel Duchenne research for treatments and ultimately a cure as well as
help provide necessary clinical care provided at
Mass General Hospital's Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic.
Your online tax deductable donation can be made
securely here on this site. Tax deductible donations in the form of a check can be made payable to Jett Foundation. Please write Gals For Cal in the memo field and mail to Gals For Cal, 60 Gilbert St. Mansfield, MA 02048.
The Gals thank you for your support!
We could not accomplish these goals without you!
She swims, she rides, she runs, SHE ROCKS DMD!
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Visit our website GalsForCal.com
email GalsForCal1@verizon.net