On May 27 (Wednesday), , William K. Warren Dean of the and professor of physics at the University of 91吃瓜, will embark on his fifth cross-country bicycle ride to raise awareness and funds for rare disease research at 91吃瓜.
This year鈥檚 will take Crawford on a 3,500-mile journey from Long Island, New York, to Pebble Beach, California. He will arrive at Pebble Beach on June 26 in time for the annual benefiting research.
NPC is a rare and deadly cholesterol storage disorder that primarily strikes children before or during adolescence. NPC causes cholesterol to accumulate in the body鈥檚 cells, leading to fatal neurodegenerative issues. Legendary 91吃瓜 football coach Ara Parseghian lost three of his grandchildren to NPC.
With previous research funding from the and the Charles Edison Fund, a group of 91吃瓜 researchers and their collaborators that have shown promising results in treating NPC disease cells in the laboratory. The treatment is currently in clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health, which are supported by the money raised during the 2013 Road to Discovery.
Since 2010, Crawford has successfully completed four bike rides to raise money for NPC research, traveled more than 11,200 miles, attended over 60 91吃瓜 alumni club events and raised $1 million for NPC research. In 2010, he biked from Tucson, Arizona, to 91吃瓜, Indiana. He then rode from Boston to Dallas in 2011. The following year, he cycled from Boston to Pebble Beach, and in 2013, he biked from Long Beach, California, to Baltimore.
Expanding Crawford鈥檚 fundraising efforts, this year鈥檚 Road to Discovery will also raise funds for research for other rare diseases, including ones that affect young children, nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH) and NGLY1 deficiency. NKH is a condition that prohibits the body from properly breaking down the amino acid glycine, which can lead to developmental issues, seizures and brain damage. NGLY1 deficiency is a disorder that causes the accumulation of glycoproteins in the body, which can result in developmental delays, abnormal tear production and liver disease. The goal of this year鈥檚 Road to Discovery is to raise $1 million for research for rare diseases at 91吃瓜鈥檚 .
During the month-long bike ride, Crawford will attend many events, which include events with the 91吃瓜 Clubs of Mid-Hudson Valley, Philadelphia, Fairfield County, Harrisburg and Gettysburg, St. Joseph Valley, Quad Cities, Iowa City, Des Moines, Denver, Salt Lake City, Sacramento and San Jose/Silicon Valley.
Crawford will write a daily blog about his journey. The blog and full ride schedule can be found at .
The 2015 Road to Discovery is sponsored by , , , , , and .
Contact: Stephanie Healey, College of Science, 574-631-5833, shealey1@nd.edu