Guild Announcements

Woodinville Winemaker's Triathlon and 'After Party'!!

Root on your favorite winery as they compete in the 1st annual Woodinville Winemaker's (& Brew Master) Triathlon on the bank of Willows Lodge. Afterwards join all the winery participants for the 'After Party' at JM Cellars. Proceeds to benefit The Mitochondrial Research Guild of Seattle Children's Hospital.

Date: July 22, 2009

Tickets: $125/per person

Time: 5:00 p.m. triathlon starts, 6:00-10:00 p.m. JM Cellars for the 'After Party'!!

Click the Donate button below to purchase either a pair of tickets or one at a time online.

Pair $250	One $125

Click here to see more information.

Camp for Mito Kids at Camp Korey in Carnation, Washington

From August 10 through August 14, 2009, The Mitochondrial Research Guild is pleased to announce that Camp Korey will be hosting a camp dedicated to children with mitochondrial disease. Camp Korey, located in Carnation, WA, is a medically supervised camp staffed with physicians and nurses, and trained camp counselors for children suffering from serious and life threatening illnesses. The camp provides a week-long experience of camp programs and activities for children ages 7-16 at no cost to them.

Please click here to find out more about the camp for mito kids or contact Hillary Carey at (425) 844-3225 or hcarey@campkorey.org. Click here for more information on Camp Korey.

The T's For Teens Fashion Show held on December 17, 2008 was a big success and a lot of fun! (PDF Flyer click here)

In Memory of Donald Dee Neuert (Click for PDF)
Donald Neuert passed away due to heart failure at St. Peter's Hospital, Olympia in December 2008. Don spent his entire adult life helping and serving others. He is survived by numerous family members including his granddaughter, two-year old mitochondrial patient Jaelynn Viall. It would have been Don's wish to have donations sent to the Mitochondrial Research Guild.

6th Annual 'Cure for Mito' Auction a Success

On Saturday, September 13th, 2008, the Mitochondrial Research Guild hosted it's 6th annual 'Cure for Mito' Auction and Dinner at the majestic and very private Camp Korey, formally known as the Nestle Training Center in Carnation, Washington. This special evening at this historic 817-acre facility, originally the Carnation Farm, was enjoyed by over 225 guests on what was truly a magical evening that was made perfect by the summer like weather, spectacular views and a full moon raising up over the Snoqualmie Valley.

Thanks to the generous support of our auction attendees, donors and sponsors, the guild raised over $185,000 at the event, bringing our total proceeds raised over the past 6 years to over $1 million for Seattle Children's! We were very pleased to meet this significant milestone and we are grateful to all of our supporters over the last few years that have made this all possible. Please check back with us in January for information on next year's event to be held on Friday, September 11, 2009.

Do you want to make a donation to the guild through your annual giving campaign at work? Or, make donations directly to the guild or donate items for the annual auction? Please visit the donations page.

The Mitochondrial Research Guild of Seattle Children's is pleased to announce funding for its first small grant program. Visit our grants page to find out more.

What is Mitochondrial disease?

Imagine a plant that is unable to make use of the sun and water surrounding it. Over time the plant will not function properly and will show signs of distress, its leaves will begin to wilt and eventually it could die. That is what happens to people with mitochondrial disease.

Everyday, we consume food to make the energy our body needs to function. If our mitochondria are not functioning correctly then the body's organs begin to suffer.

A person's brain can be impaired, their vision could become dim, their muscles can twitch spastically or they can become too weak to walk or write, their heart could be weakened, and they might not be able to eat and digest their food.

For large numbers of people, especially children, this is precisely the situation in which they find themselves due to defects in the mitochondria.

Depending on which cells are affected, a child can suffer from strokes, seizures, gastro-intestinal trouble, blindness, deafness, muscle failure, diabetes, kidney and heart trouble, developmental delays, immune system problems and liver disease.

Whole systems within a body can begin to fail and the life of the child is compromised, changed or ended.

Experts estimate that one in 2,000 babies may inherit some kind of mitochondrial illness and some experts are saying that the number could be as high as 1 in 1,000. 10% to 50% of these children will die before their teenage years.

Currently there is no cure.

Defects in mitochondrial function have now been linked to many of the most common diseases of aging including Alzheimers, and Parkinsons.

For additional information on how you can help please contact Jill Herczog at j.herczog@verizon.net or Ashley Farrington at a.farrington2@verizon.net.