LuMind Foundation's Inaugural Race for Research an Impressive Success

MARLBORO, Mass. - July 30, 2014 - PRLog -- The LuMind Foundation (http://www.lumindfoundation.org/) announces the unqualified success of its inaugural Race for Research Road Rally, a three-day road rally and scavenger hunt to raise funds for Down syndrome cognition research. The event was held from June 16-18, 2014 and teams traveled through NASCAR-themed “pit stops” in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.

With an original goal of raising $50,000 for cognition research, the event cleared the $100,000 mark once the proceeds from the silent auction and matching gifts were added to the online fundraising total.

“It is unheard of to double a goal the first year of an event,” said LuMind Foundation’s Executive Director Carolyn Cronin. “More importantly we were able to introduce a new set of compassionate and engaged people to the importance of funding Down syndrome cognition research. On the evaluation forms received, 100% of the participants rated the event Excellent or Good and 100% are likely to participate in a future rally. That’s success in my book!”

The Race for Research Road Rally would not have been possible without the assistance of the NASCAR and Down syndrome communities.

“We enjoyed amazing support from our honorary co-chairs David and Jacquelyn Ragan and the entire Ragan family, Ken, Beverly and Adam, who opened doors to the NASCAR community. With their invovlement, we were able to offer our participants incredible access to NASCAR legends and historical places,” Cronin explained. “We also want to acknowledge the assistance from our very generous sponsors the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte, Genentech, Wells Fargo, VP Coffee, Love’s Travel Stops, David Vortriede Design, Brinks, Greensboro Radiology and Sam Bass Galleries.”

Plans are already underway for next years’ event in the same area, as well as expansion with a new event to Georgia.

Founded in 2004, the LuMind Foundation is focused on funding research to improve cognition for people with Down syndrome. Developing a private funding pipeline to supplement the limited public monies devoted to this area of research, the LuMind Foundation has supported research that now results in nine drug targets and three clinical trials.

About LuMind Foundation

The LuMind Foundation, formerly the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF), is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, aimed at accelerating the development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, for individuals with Down syndrome. LuMind Foundation funds research at major research centers, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego, and University of Arizona. Since its founding in 2004, LuMind Foundation has committed more than $10 million to fund results-driven research programs that will benefit children and adults with Down syndrome, and has been instrumental in the initiation of clinical trials now under way.