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| The FEST-ivites have begun...with the Summer Sun! |
 Ryan's Quest just celebrated the success of Ryan's Quest Fest 2! Nearly 1,500 people were in attendance at this festival full of great entertainment, good food, & fond memories! New additions to this year's event were a guest appearance by NFL Pro-Bowler, Jesse Armstead, from the NY Giants and a surprise landing of the New Jersey State Police Helicopter; in addition to our annual gift auction, balloon raffle, K9 dog demo, pony rides, face painting & many more activities for the children.
We would like to thank our sponsor, Roma Bank, for supporting us in our mission to fight Duchenne muscular dystrophy and for their generosity.
We would also like to thank the vendors and entertainers who donated either their services or goods to make the Fest so successful; because of your kind and generous donations and the support of all who were in attendance, we were able to raise nearly $40,000 for Duchenne research! We hope that you will all join us again next year!
The Fest was just the beginning of our fundraising endeavors! We have great things planned for the summer and upcoming fall. |
| Comedy for a Cure |
 Comedy for a Cure
September 12, 2009- 8:00 PM
For our biggest fundraiser yet, Ryan's Quest will be presenting Comedy for a Cure, starring Mike Marino, a top performer known as New Jersey's Bad Boy of Comedy.
Mike Marino, native of New Jersey, is returning for this special comedy concert. He has performed in every major comedy club in New York and Los Angeles, including The MGM Grand, Catch a Rising Star, The Comic Strip, Stand Up NY, The Improv, Rascals and The Icehouse. Mike is a headliner at Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store in Hollywood, where he appears nightly. He has worked with some of the biggest names in show business, including Andrew Dice Clay, Carrot Top, Lou Rawls, Tony Orlando, Frankie Avalon, Tony Danza, Joey Gian and Frank Stallone.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. Mike Marino Comedy for a Cure show at the War Memorial are $30 to $45. Tickets to the after party are $20. The price of the after party ticket includes hors d'ouevres graciously catered by Massimo's and beer & wine tasting graciously donated by Triumph Brewing Company & Shop-Rite Liquors respectively.
To purchase tickets to the show and after party benefiting this worthy cause, you must call the War Memorial Box Office at 609-984-8400.
For tickets to just the comedy show you may purchase your tickets at
The Young Business Leaders Council, part of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, has partnered with Ryan's Quest this year in their goal to work with a local nonprofit organization and give back to the community for this event.
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| Jerry Blavat Dance |
Jerry Blavat Dance- October 17, 2009
If you enjoy "swinging to the oldies" come dance with "The Geator with the Heator", Jerry Blavat. This event will take place at the Colonial Fire House in Hamilton, NJ. There will be a small gift auction & 50/50 raffle in addition to finger foods, beer, & wine....please join us for a really good time! More information including ticket price & time coming soon! |
| Valentine Ball |
 Valentine Ball-February 13, 2010Only 190 tickets sold...so save the date for you and the one you love!
Sneak peak...
Live Music by the Meg Hansen Band
Cocktail Hour
Full-course Served Meal
Open Bar all evening
Silent Auction
This is our BIG event so think BIG for the silent auction!
We are in need of donated items such as electronics, getaways, jewelry, sports memorabilia, etc.
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| Contribution Update-- Hot off the press !!!! |
Your kind and generous donations have yet again allowed us to make a significant contribution to a promising research project-Compound Quest. Although this project does not target a cure for DMD; it does however offer great promise for a treatment that will help Ryan and all other boys living with Duchenne. Preliminary studies have shown great hope that some compounds or natural supplements given in conjunction with specific steroids significantly increase the effectiveness of the steroids. This allows for increased strength, stamina, & activity. It is our hope that further investigation into Compound Quest will show that there is less muscle breakdown and more years of ambulation.
Compound Quest is a research initiative being carried out by Dr. Herman Vandenburgh and his team at Myomics, Inc. in Providence, Rhode Island. Compound Quest utilizes a unique technology that allows for the testing and measurement of the effect of pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements that can benefit boys with DMD and move them quickly into a human clinical trial.
This contribution was made through the Jett Foundation of Pembroke, MA who has partnered with Dr. Vandenburg (also a research scientist) and neuromuscular specialist, Dr. Brian Tseng of Mass General Hospital for Children. This project was funded in collaboration with DMD Foundations which allowed for matching grants to double the initial investment. This is a clear example of how a little money from many foundations can work together to acquire matching funds and federal grants, to get some much needed cash in the field of DMD research. |
| Got Clothes ?????? |
If you are looking to get rid of any clothes, shoes, handbags, belts, towels, or blankets please let us know. Your old clothes could turn into new funds for Ryan's Quest! Just bag up your belongings (shoes, purses, belts separately please) and contact Lynn at llambert@hamilton.k12.nj.us or 609.433.6660 to arrange a drop off or a pick-up by JULY 17!
A special thank you to the Lambert family and the Steinert High School Peer Leadership Students for organizing this fundraiser! |
| We're Almost At The Top |
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 Your donations have helped us to raise close to $10,000 of Dave's $14, 410 goal to climb Mt. Rainier in August! This goal is equal to the mountain's elevation in feet. This climb will allow the team to raise a total of at least $175,000 for DMD research in addition to "heightening" the much needed awareness for this disease. To learn more about the climb or to make a donation, please visit our website at www.ryansquest.org
Donations may also be mailed to:
Ryan's Quest
Climb to Cure Duchenne
PO Box 2544
Hamilton NJ 08690 |
| They Did It !! A Mile of Quarters |
63,360 Quarters=$15, 840 for Ryan's Quest
We proudly announce the success of the Crockett Middle School's Quarters for a Cause campaign. Since September, students at Crockett conducted a coin collection in hopes to change these coins into 63, 360 quarters....and change the lives of boys living with Duchenne...and THEY DID IT!
We would like to thank each student for their participation and dedication to this project. Your donation WILL make a difference in our fight to end Duchenne. We continue to be amazed at how you have taken on this cause as your own. Thank you for support and all of your hard work.
We would also like to thank Principal Panfilli for her dedication to this project and Barbara Costantino for directing this campaign. Your students continue to inspire us and many others within our community. This is truly a reflection of the mission and vision you have created for Ryan's Quest in your school.
Lastly, we must thank Bridget Dolittle (Student Council President), Amanda Foster, Chelsea Shaner, Chris Palmer, Enzo Esposito, & Michael John for proposing this idea & inspiring their fellow classmates to join. You should be very proud of your efforts! |
| Hits For Hope Update |
Baseball and softball teams within Mercer County participated in the inaugural season of Hitting for Hope. This campaign idea was quite simple...the teams acquired a sponsor that would donate a monetary value for all hits made throughout the past season...a single earned $1, a double $2, a triple $3 and a home run $5. This fundraising idea was a grand slam for Ryan's Quest raising $3,390! We would like to thank the participants, sponsors and coaches for your support in this fundraiser. We hope that you will continue to support us in this campaign.
We would like to thank HHW Coach John Costantino for assisting us in getting this competition going and The Times' Kevin Maloney for truly taking to this idea and supporting it, through acquiring sponsors and writing articles during the season.
We could not have done this without both of you.
Congratulations to the following:
- Hits for Hope Competition Team Champions- Nottingham High School NorthStars
- Hits for Hope Competition MVP- Nick Cifelli
- Hits for Hope Softball Competition MVP- Bree Catalano
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| Salon Di Moda Anniversary Party |
A very warm thank you to our friends at Salon Di Moda, in Hamilton NJ for keeping Ryan's Quest close to your hearts as you celebrated your 2nd Anniversary. Guests at this party enjoyed complimentary services, pressed their luck to win great prizes in the gift auction, and purchased beautiful jewelry, scarves, watches and handbags...all to benefit Ryan's Quest. There was even a moon bounce for all of the children to enjoy! It sure was a great time for a great cause.
A special thank you to Lorene and all the girls at Salon Di Moda for dedicating your time in planning and organizing the day's events. Congratulations on your anniversary! |
| Small Ideas, Make a Big Difference................ |
Your ideas no matter how big or small have proven to make a huge difference in our fight against Duchenne. Here are a few examples...
- Enchantment Adult Living Community held a "Hot Dog Night" and raised a remarkable $800 for Ryan's Quest. A special thank you to James DiMattia, Ted Furman & Tony Gambino for donating the hot dogs and serving up a good time for a great cause! We would also like to thank all those who attended the event for your support and generous donations.
- Christopher and Melissa McLaughlin held a 50/50 raffle while hosting a family reunion at their residence. They donated the proceeds ($450) to Ryan's Quest. Thank you for your idea and supporting our cause!
- Kyle Meier (Ryan's cousin) and Jake Alercio (a family friend) kindly asked for donations to be made to Ryan's Quest in lieu of presents for their birthdays! Thank you both very much for thinking of us!
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Sincerely,
David & Maria Schultz
Ryan's Quest |
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