FFB Written Articles » Usher Syndrome
Generous Foundation Supporters Fuel the Fight Against Blindness
|
March 30, 2012 - As the Foundation strives to add up to 10 new clinical trials to its translational research portfolio within the next five years, the need for funding to facilitate the expensive human studies and, eventually, advance treatments and cures to patients grows significantly. Recently, several donors made financial contributions that will help fuel the Foundation’s aggressive push in 2012. “Without the generous support of individuals and organizations who invest in a brighter future through giving to our sight-saving research efforts, we wouldn’t be in the position to fund the most promising laboratory studies and clinical trials,” says Bill Schmidt, the Foundation’s chief executive officer. The Foundation for Retinal Research, which was co-founded by David and Betsy Brint, gave a gift of $300,000. The Brints’ 12-year-old son, Alan, has Leber congenital amaurosis, and David is vice president of the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ board of directors and CEO of the Brinshore Development Company, a real estate and property management company. The Brints have been involved with the Foundation since 1998, and their own foundation has contributed more than $850,000 for research. Foundation supporters Margot and Ross Perot recently contributed $100,000 in memory of Margot’s father, Donald Birmingham, who passed away in 1967 and was challenged by age-related macular degeneration during the last years of his life. In 2011, Ross and Margot served as co-chairs of a Foundation-fundraising dinner in Dallas, Texas, honoring Ebby Halliday, a longtime Foundation supporter, on her 100th birthday. Ross Perot was also one of the two Visionary Award honorees at the 2009 Dallas Dining in the Dark. Generous longtime donors Lupe and Robert Reintsma, who’ve been involved with the Foundation since 1988, recently contributed $100,000. They are regular attendees of the Foundation’s national VISIONS Conference and also participated in the inaugural Washington VisionWalk, held last fall in Seattle. Committed to supporting research because a young family member is affected with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the Weisman Family Foundation recently contributed $53,000. Also motivated because of the impact of RP, the Michael W. Louis Charitable Trust granted the Foundation $50,000 toward research. |
