The Wright-Beasley family of Texas, whose beautiful son, Eli, passed away from SMA Type 1 last January, has surpassed their personal goal of raising $5,000 for Unite For The Cure for Dr. Keirstead’s SMA stem cell program. With the help of friends and with hard work, the Wright-Beasley family did what they initially were unsure they could do and we are so, so proud of them. Congratulations to the Wright-Beasley Family on this inspiring achievement!
Friends of Rita Wright and Jason Beasley were inspired to help raise awareness of SMA and funds for Dr. Keirstead’s groundbreaking program in honor of beautiful angel baby Eli. Eli lost his fight with SMA on January 14, 2009, but his bright smile will forever impact many. Brandi Dorsey just knew she had to do something to help. She approached the Waffle House in Riverside, Maryland to hold a benefit, which raised over $800 and employees and diners gladly donated even more to bring the event total to more than $1,200!!! Thank you so much Brandi for organizing this and thank you to the wonderful Waffle House employees for making it such a success. The help of friends makes a huge difference!
Check out the fun Unite For The Cure fundraiser that friends of the Wright/Beasley Family have organized: a Waffle House Dinner Fundraiser.
What: Waffle House Fundraiser. 20% of all proceeds will be donated to Unite For The Cure. Additionally, every $5 donation will receive either a free waffle coupon or a 10% off booth pass for their next visit
When: Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 4pm-9pm
Where: Riverside Waffle House, Maryland
The Beasley-Wrights wanted to do a few community fundraisers to both raise money for Unite but also raise the level of SMA awareness in their area. They decided on doing a series of three bake sales and have completed two of them so far. The first was on a HOT sunny Texas day and despite all the melting chocolate, they made $415 in 3 ½ hours! The second sale fell on a chilly, rainy fall day but they were still able to raise $270 and get a page full of signatures for Petition To Cure SMA! They would not have been able to do the sales without the help of many of their local friends who have pitched in to bake cookies, help package up all of the baked goods, and stand by them to sell and ask for signatures. They have one more sale scheduled for October 17th and are hoping for a day of mild weather and no rain.
Meet Rita Wright and Jason Beasley of Texas, another amazingly inspiring family who has signed on to Unite For The Cure.
Why are Rita and Jason uniting for the cure?
Rita Wright and Jason Beasley welcomed son, Eli, into the world on August 2, 2008. A beautiful, happy baby, he was their lives’ greatest gift. Soon after birth he began experiencing health issues that kept them going back to his doctor for advice — although nothing that caused alarm. However, a few days after the Christmas holiday, that changed as Eli had a scary choking incident that sent the family rushing to the emergency room. The specialists there told Rita and Jason that their son had SMA and a hopeless prognosis. It did not take long for SMA to ravage Eli’s body and on January 14, 2009, he passed away peacefully in Rita’s arms. Since then, they have met many other families who have been affected by this horrible disorder and have created a foundation, Through Eli’s Eyes, to offer SMA awareness and support. Rita and Jason are determined to help find a cure for SMA so that no other parents are given this horrible diagnosis.
Rita and Jason, we are so thrilled to have you part of Unite For The Cure. Together, there is no doubt we will raise $100,000 for this promising SMA stem cell program!
