All Day Golf at Ravinia Green Country Club Raises Over $60k for Autism Research

SKOKIE, Ill. - June 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Longest Day of Golf 2013

This annual “Longest Day of Golf” event celebrated its 20th year and has for the last 5 years devoted its earnings to medical research managed by Cures Within Reach, an organization committed to affordable and effective projects delivering solutions to patients in 1-3 years.  

With a maximum of 24 players, the Longest Day of Golf requires a minimum fundraising commitment of $2500 per player, and provides a long and enjoyable day of unlimited play and fellowship.  Hosted by various Chicago area golf courses over the years, this year the event was held for the first time at Ravinia Green Country Club in River Woods, IL.  Ravinia Green graciously agreed to devote its course to the event for the day, giving the golfers full access to the beautiful course and cart usage.  While the event normally goes from sunrise to sunset, storms put an end to play around 6:30pm, allowing players to get home in time for the Blackhawk’s Stanley Cup win.

Last year, this event broke records by topping $100,000 for research on drug-repurposing for pediatric brain tumors.  This year is on track towards that high-water mark, with current proceeds over $60k funding one or more of three clinical trials under consideration for autism.  Each of the projects under review is repurposing a different compound with scientific evidence that it could improve behavior and other symptoms in children with this disease. Each project is designed to prove that the repurposed drug or nutriceutical is safe and effective, and if so, could be used by physicians for their patients right away. These projects would take place at Tufts University in Boston, Ohio State University and/or Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Past years have funded research into prostate cancer pediatric autoimmune diseases.  Golfers have input on the disease focus in any given year and receive reports on past project outcomes.  These projects are a part of Cures Within Reach’s Patient Impact Initiative portfolio of research projects that repurpose existing drugs, devices and treatments for new patient populations.  Cures Within Reach works as a philanthropic business engine to source, select, and steward these Rediscovery Research™ projects, with near term patient benefit as the primary goal.  

For more information about Cures Within Reach, visit www.cureswithinreach.org  To learn more about the Longest Day of Golf and find out how you can be involved, visit http://www.cureswithinreach.org/events/longest-day-of-golf