The Mississippi RiverKings hockey team will participate in the upcoming Proforma SouthPrint Golf Classic, presented by Emergency Mobile Health Care (EMHC) to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association at TPC Southwind in Memphis on Monday, August 9.

“I started this tournament back in 2001,” Proforma SouthPrint franchise president Bruce Orpet said. “Shortly after we played that first year, my father received a diagnosis of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis )/Lou Gehrig’s Disease and died. Not long before my dad died my wife’s father received word that her father had ALS. He also died as a result of the disease.

“I vowed to continue using this tournament to raise vital research dollars until a cure is found for ALS. Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world leader in ALS research, and that’s why MDA is the beneficiary every year.”

The festivities will begin Sunday, August 8 at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception and guest speaker at TPC Southwind. The tournament kicks into high gear on the 9th with registration beginning at 11 a.m. At 11:30 a.m. Hogwild barbecue will serve lunch, followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m., with awards following the tournament.

Muscular Dystrophy encompasses a group of more than 30 genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. Some forms of MD are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of muscular dystrophy. ALS is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. 

In ALS, the motor neurons degenerate or die, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away, and twitch. Eventually the ability of the brain to start and control voluntary movement is lost. 

Individuals with ALS lose their strength and the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. When muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall fail, individuals lose the ability to breathe without ventilatory support. 

The disease does not affect a person's ability to see, smell, taste, hear, or recognize touch, and it does not usually impair a person’s thinking or other cognitive abilities.  However, several recent studies suggest that a small percentage of patients may experience problems with memory or decision-making, and there is growing evidence that some may even develop a form of dementia. 

The cause of ALS is not known, and scientists do not yet know why ALS strikes some people and not others.

“Lou Gehrig’s disease is the most devastating of all the forms of muscular dystrophy,” Orpet said. “It debilitates the muscles, shrinking them. One day you just wake up and you can’t breathe because your muscles won’t respond, but your mind is perfectly fine so you know exactly what’s happening. It’s really hard.”

All funds raised from the tournament stay in the local area. They provide a wide range of services, from an annual flu shot to wheelchair-leg braces. Additionally, individuals have access through MDA to a nation-wide network of more than 230 hospital-affiliated clinics staffed by top health professionals.

“There’s so much M.D.A. can do with the funds,” Orpet said. “You feel good about helping equip them with tools to help so many people.”
 
For more information, contact Orpet at 901.734.2290 or bruce.orpet@proforma.com, or visit www.mdausa.org.

The Mississippi RiverKings are supported by their community partners, season ticket holders, fans, and by program-related investments of the Maddox Foundation, an independent private foundation based in Hernando, Miss. To find out more about the RiverKings, call 662.342.1755 or visit www.riverkings.com.


RiverKings mascot Sheldon the turtle gets ready to hit the golf trail during a recent charity golf tournament. The RiverKings will participate in the upcoming Proforma SouthPrint Golf Classic presented by EMHC to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association at TPC Southwind in Memphis on Aug. 9.