Nashville, TN – Emerson Drive hosted the 2nd Annual Brad Mates/E-Drive Charity Golf Tournament in lead vocalist Brad Mates’ hometown of Grand ...
More...Nashville, TN – Emerson Drive hosted the 2nd Annual Brad Mates/E-Drive Charity Golf Tournament in lead vocalist Brad Mates’ hometown of Grand Prairie, AB, Canada to benefit the University of Alberta Hospital’s research program dedicated to curing Parkinson’s disease.
The Charity Golf Tournament partnered celebrities with golfers from all over Canada and the USA for a day of fun at the Spruce Meadows Golf & Country Club in Sexsmith, AB on Thursday, September 10th. This year’s event raised over $100,000, a $35,000 increase from last year’s inaugural event. All of the money raised from the charity golf tournament will be donated to the University of Alberta Hospital's Parkinson’s research program.
Raising money and awareness for Parkinson’s research hits home for Mates, his father Don was diagnosed with the disease six years ago. "My father has had Parkinson's for six years now. For him and others battling...ultimately we want to find a cure," said Mates.
As many as one million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease, which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig's disease. Incidence of Parkinson's increases with age, but an estimated 4 percent of people with PD are diagnosed before the age of 50. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are many treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage the symptoms.
Funding is key to continuing Parkinson’s research and the money raised by Mates, his follow Emerson Drive members and the team of volunteers for the Brad Mates/E-Drive Charity Golf Tournament will continue the drive to stamp out Parkinson’s.
The planning for next year’s event has begun and the goal for research funds has been set high. The 3rd Annual Brad Mates/E-Drive Charity Golf Tournament staff and volunteers are working towards reaching their goal of $500,000 in 2009. With the help of Mates’ fellow band members and everyone else who made this year’s event a success, they are well on the way.
Grammy-nominated Emerson Drive will release a new single in November from their upcoming fourth CD which will hit stores in early 2009.
