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NephCure Raises Over $600,000 at Countdown 

New York, NY – Countdown to a Cure, held Wednesday, November 10 at CitiField, over $600,000 towards NephCure’s fight against the kidney diseases FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome. 

The event, which marked the start of NephCure’s 10th anniversary, raised a single-event, record-setting amount for NephCure.  The highlight of the evening came when Stephen Berni, grandfather to Nephrotic Syndrome patient Asher Berni, presented NephCure Co-founder and President Dr. Irv Smokler with a $100,000 check, one of the largest single cash donations in the Foundation’s history.

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Emceed by Fox 5 New York sports anchor Duke Castiglione, the dinner ceremony featured auctions and honored the philanthropic work of Joseph and Daryl Boren (photo attached) with the 2010 NephCure Service Award, and Walter Beal and Gloria Klein with the Alvin Levine Award.

Special guests included Doug Ellin (photo attached), the creator of HBO’s hit series Entourage, and former New York Mets star pitcher Dwight “Doc” Gooden, whose father, Dan, died from complications stemming from dialysis due to kidney disease.

Ellin personally auctioned off a walk-on role and the opportunity to meet with cast members from his show. The winning bid went for $10,000.

Former Mets executive and current MLB.com baseball analyst Jim Duquette, a NephCure board member, was also in attendance. His eight-year-old daughter, Lindsey, suffers from the kidney disease FSGS.

“NephCure gives patients and families suffering from these diseases a critical support system and the opportunity to make a difference through raising money to fund critical research,” said Duquette.  “Tonight’s event is an example of how great things can be accomplished when people come together.”

Melville, New York resident and NephCure board member Michael Levine, Chairperson for Countdown  to a Cure, has a seven-year-old son, Matthew, who also suffers from FSGS. Levine thanked the over 800 people in attendance and added, “The only way we are going to find a cure to fight these horrible kidney diseases is by continuing to have events like this to raise the money needed to fund NephCure’s research commitments. We must also spread awareness and let people know that there are thousands of people -- children and adults -- suffering from FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome.”

NephCure has committed over $7 million in recent years to research into finding the cause and cure for FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome.  Late in 2009, The NephCure Foundation played a major role in securing a highly-competitive grant of $6.25 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The grant is part of a $10 million funding package – including a $2 million commitment from NephCure  -- to study kidney diseases that can lead to kidney failure and dialysis.

Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS are conditions that affect the tiny filtering mechanisms in the kidney.  The result is that beneficial protein is spilled from the kidney into the urine and lost.  Over time this condition can result in renal failure and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.  The cause for Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS is not known and there is no cure.

FSGS has been in the news because it is the disease that afflicted the late Gary Coleman from a young age.  FSGS also forced NBA star Alonzo Morning to the sidelines for a kidney transplant. The disease has no approved treatment and no cause; although transplants are an option for patients, transplanted kidneys are attacked 50% of the time.

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