Boston – Over 500 guests from Greater Boston’s commercial real estate, construction, and labor industries gathered at Fenway Park on February 1, 2012 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s 15th Annual Muscle Team fundraiser, generating a record $255,000 net!
Monies raised through Muscle Team support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)’s work in the Massachusetts community and will help MDA continue to fund 7 hospital-affiliated specialty clinics, close to 50 research teams looking for causes, treatments, and cures for 43 types of muscle diseases including muscular dystrophy and ALS, a fully-adaptive summer camp program for children ages 6-17 at Camp Allen in Bedford, NH, and other services for the 2,500 residents of the state that rely on MDA for help and hope.
This year’s event, emceed by Naoko Funayama of NESN, united professional athletes from Boston’s major sports teams, business leaders, and local children living with muscular dystrophy and other muscle diseases. The concept of the event, “Make a Muscle, Make a Difference,” is about putting muscle behind the search for a cure, and was certainly well supported by names like Shawn Thornton (Boston Bruins), Adam McQuaid (Boston Bruins), Mark Melancon (Boston Red Sox), Sam Horn (Boston Red Sox), Max Lane (New England Patriots), Jermaine Wiggins (New England Patriots), Isaiah Kacyvenski (Seattle Seahawks), Kevin McBride (Boxing), Angela Hucles (Olympic Gold Medalist – Women’s Soccer), Miss Massachusetts USA 2012, and many more.
Muscle Team 2012 was anchored by Coach Jim Stadler (Commodore Builders) and led by a committee of 14 industry stand-outs, including Paul Le Bel II representing Walsh Mechanical Contractors, an historic MDA supporter. Over 120 notable sponsors supported this year’s event, including Pipefitters Local 537, an organization that has supported MDA for 27 years through its annual “Building a Better Future” Telethon appeal.
MDA remains particularly grateful for the support received by its friends in the labor community. Walsh Mechanical Contractor’s efforts for MDA this year alone resulted in $42,000, including a $15,500 gift from Pipefitters Local 537. Since the start of their partnerships, Walsh Mechanical Contractors and Pipefitters Local 537 have raised a combined total of half a million dollars for MDA Boston.