|
FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS APPOINTS PHILADELPHIA AREA BUSINESSMAN ED BABIN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Columbia, Md. – The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national non-profit organization dedicated to sight-saving research, has named Berwyn, PA, resident Ed Babin to its board of directors. As the world’s leading private funder of retinal degenerative disease research, the Foundation works to advance preventions, treatments and cures for people affected with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Stargardt disease, Usher syndrome and related conditions.
“Ed Babin has provided significant support for the Foundation’s mission in a variety of ways, raising critical awareness and funds in Philadelphia and beyond,” says Bill Schmidt, CEO of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. “We’re proud to appoint him to our board of passionate leaders whose ongoing collaboration and direction fuels our sight-saving research progress.”
Mr. Babin, founder and president of Metropolitan Fire Protection Company, Inc., in Broomall, PA, has been a national trustee of the organization since 2010. He’s motivated in the fight against blindness because his two sons, Eddie and Andrew, are losing their sight to Stargardt disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration that progressively robs central vision. Fueled by hope that treatments and cures are on the horizon, the Babin family has raised hundreds of thousands for research through the annual Philadelphia VisionWalk each fall and local fundraising dinners. He’s co-chairing the Philadelphia Dining in the Dark again this year on June 18, which gives guests a unique first-hand glimpse into the lives of the blind.
“With exciting retinal disease research and clinical trials taking place right here in Philadelphia and around the world, I’m confident that Foundation-funded scientists will develop treatments to help my sons, and the millions of others affected with vision-robbing conditions,” says Mr. Babin. “I’m looking forward to my new role in this effort to bring cures to patients who need them.”
To speak with Mr. Babin, or to learn more about the Foundation Fighting Blindness and its research efforts, contact Allie Gebhardt at 410-423-0643 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
About Foundation Fighting Blindness
The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national non-profit organization driving the research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases that affect more than 10 million Americans. Since 1971, the Foundation has raised more than $500 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research. Breakthrough Foundation-funded studies using gene therapy have restored significant vision in children and young adults who were previously blind, paving the way for additional clinical trials to treat a variety of retinal degenerative diseases. With a coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the Foundation also has nearly 50 chapters that provide support, information and resources to affected individuals and their families in communities across the country.
|
