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CM hosts fundraiser to raise money to combat Duchenne

Standing is event organizer, Central Mountain’s Brayden Brungard (right), with Rowen Aldridge and his father Kris Aldridge.

By SCOTT BAKER

For The Express

MILL HALL – Forty players, 11 teams, two divisions, two genders, 25 games, one goal,…end Duchenne. The goal was clear on a beautiful summer day as soccer players and parents assembled at Central Mountain High’s Malinak Stadium this past Saturday.

The event was a 3-on-3 soccer tournament with proceeds benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Parent Project designed to find a cure for Duchenne syndrome, a childhood form of MD.

The event was organized by Central Mountain High’s Brayden Brungard as a senior project.

Brungard, a member of the boys soccer team, combined his passion for soccer with his heart for family friends, the Aldridge family of Jersey Shore.

Kris and Jen Aldridge are the parents of young boys Rowen and Finnley. Six-year old Rowen was diagnosed with Duchenne a year ago at the age of five. Brayden’s knowledge of the family’s situation and his desire to help Rowen and youngsters like him led to the idea of a 3-on-3 benefit soccer tournament. Participants who ranged from 7th-12th grades competed in a 3-on-3 format for approximately six hours on a sunny, yet breezy day on the Malinak turf.

Boys and girls from Central Mountain, Bellefonte, Mifflin County, State College and Altoona competed in the co-ed event wearing t-shirts that stated End Duchenne on the front and Shoot for a Cure on the back. While players competed on three fields, volunteers assisted Brungard on the field with refereeing the games.

At the same time, volunteers including Brayden’s mother Bobie and the Aldridge family manned a busy concession stand. Even little Rowen did his part. Rowen could be found serving up a drink and even enjoying an ice cube from the cooler to cool down.

Rowen’s mother Jen when asked what events such as this mean to the family stated that it was very important because finding a cure for Duchenne “means everything.”

Brungard, like the Aldridge family, hopes that a cure for Duchenne is found very soon. Efforts such as this go a long way in helping to make that a reality.

Rowen’s parents recognize that the disease which effects motor skills will eventually require the boy to use a wheel chair.

Obviously, situations like what the Aldridge family faces with Rowen leads to many challenges.

In an attempt to assist the Aldridge family specifically with future expenses related to Rowen’s care, a benefit race is being planned for September 16 in Jersey Shore. For more information on that triathlon go to raceforrowen.org.

For now though, because of the efforts of one caring CM student-athlete and the participation of roughly 40 athletes nearly $1200 was raised toward what Brungard and the Aldridge family hopes will help to end Duchenne.

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