According to an awesome story in DelRay Newspaper, Kelsey Diamantis had always dreamed of going to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs to watch the horse race. While thinking about that, she came up with another idea.
She began thinking about raising money locally for Tourette syndrome, which is a disorder of the nervous system. Additionally, it can cause tics that result in involuntary movements and/or vocalizations.
Kelsey is a 25-year-old fourth grade teacher. At the age of 11, Kelsey was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. Kelsey and her mother Diana Diamantis knew there was a lack of funding and opportunities for people with Tourette syndrome. Thus, they developed Dollars 4 Tic Scholars in 2014 to fulfill this need.
The Dollars 4 Tic Scholars helps young adults with Tourette Syndrome in college by providing scholarships. They hold awesome events like one last February, called the D4TS Derby, a Kentucky Derby-inspired fundraiser, bringing the whole experience all the way to Florida! This event was packed with cool stuff like tapes of horse races, dinner, beverages, drawings, and even a silent auction. More importantly, they raised more money to go toward college scholarships for students living with Tourette Syndrome.
Visit Dollars4TicScholars.org for more information on how you can help the Tourette Community.
Click here to read about one of the scholarship recipients from one of Kelsey’s past events.
Have you started a foundation or charity for your rare disease? We want to hear about! Tell us about it here.