06 Oct Philadelphia VisionWalk 2011

It is that time of year again – time to join Gavin’s Gang and sign up for Philadelphia’s VISIONWALK. Our humble walk has grown so much that this year we are happy to announce a change in venue: date is Saturday, October 22 and our new location is Independence National Historical Park! Registration begins at 8:45 am (Gavin’s Gang will have its traditional tent with breakfast before and after the 3 mile walk—we have been known to be noisy so you can not miss us!) and walk begins at 10:00 am. Stick around after the walk, too, as there will be food, fun and festivities for the whole family!

We have lots of great news to report this year. In June, the first-ever gene therapy clinical trial for Stargardt disease began at Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute in Portland. StarGenTM is a treatment that is being developed by Oxford BioMedica, a biopharmaceutical company in the United Kingdom. The Foundation Fighting Blindness (and your donations!) funded many of the pivotal lab studies that are making Oxford’s gene therapy trials possible. With continued funding, we are optimistic there will be a cure for Gavin in the near future. Check out FFB’s web site at www.blindness.org if you want to read more.

We are incredibly grateful and humbled by our friends and family who over the course of five years have helped us raise more than $30,000 to support the fight against retinal degenerative diseases.

Click this link to visit the official VISIONWALK website which will give you a lot more information and pictures of last year’s walk. Just click on this site and tap onto Gavin’s Gang and there you are!

If you have any questions please call (215-849-4337) or email gavinsgang@disantodesign.com but most of all we hope to see you in October!

Many many thank yous!!
Rose DiSanto, on behalf of the Hatfield family

Note:  In order to coordinate Susquehannock involvement in the VisionWalk, we have created a Facebook Event.  Please RSVP on the Event page or by emailing josho@susquehannock.com.