Looking for a feel-good story? Then look no further. In December, telecom company Cox worked to make a difference for the rare disease community. The organization headed its Elite Gamer Holiday Charity Tournament to raise money for Cure Rare Disease (CRD). Over 5,000 players joined the tournament, facing off in an eSports showdown: Fortnite.
Both casual and professional players alike competed, racking up points for eliminations, placements, and other challenges. During the tournament, gaming influencers like Sayt and Illest also competed, driving more awareness of the rare disease space.
While players were able to win prizes for their games, including cash or peripherals like a Sheath BLK mousepad, these Fortnite players also worked to raise money for CRD. Ultimately, the event raised more than $42,000. This aligns with some of CRD’s fundraising; for example, in 2020, the organization began hosting eSports fundraisers, as well as providing resources to help others start their own fundraisers.
Cure Rare Disease
Inspired by his brother Terry’s experience with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Rich Horgan founded Cure Rare Disease (CRD) to give hope to families within the rare disease community. The mission of Cure Rare Disease is:
developing custom therapeutics that are as unique to the individuals they are meant to treat. Our mission is to offer effective, life-saving treatments developed through collaborations with world-renowned researchers and clinicians, and in partnership with our generous donors.
In 2020, CRD established a Neutralizing Antibodies (NAb initiative). According to CRD, NAbs are present in up to 50% of the general population. These antibodies present problems for drug manufacturing and delivery, particularly when using adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapies, such as CRISPR. While AAVs are usually relatively successful in drug delivery, NAbs prevent AAVs from reaching their targets. Through this initiative, CRD is working to analyze patient NAb levels and use this information to create suppressive treatments.
