Dive for a Cause - 2008
Date: August 23, 2008
Charity: Epilepsy
In an effort to maximize our contribution to epilepsy research, the Dive For a Cause committee has chosen a US and a Canadian charity for the 2008 event. This means that donors on both sides of the border will be able to recieve a tax receipt applicable to their respective country. In both cases Dive For a Cause 2008 will direct collected funds towards Epilepsy research. For Canada we will request that all funds be directed to Dr. Mac Burnham's research at UTERP and for United States we will request that all funds be directed to Epilepsy Research through CURE.
Epilepsy Research Details:
Dive For A Cause 2008 - University of Toronto Epilepsy Research Program
McIntyre Burnham, B.A., Ph.D.
W. McIntyre Burnham is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Toronto. He is one of the best known Canadian researchers in the fields of epilepsy and anticonvulsant drugs.
Dr. Burnham obtained his B.A. at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. (Honours in Psychology) and his Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal, P.Q. (Physiological Psychology). He subsequently did Post Doctoral Work with Dr. Peter Gloor at the Montreal Neurological Institute (Neurophysiology). He then joined the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Toronto, where he rose through the ranks to become a Full Professor.
Dr. Burnham is a basic scientist with a very practical bent. His laboratory is specialized in the development of anticonvulsant drugs that work by new and previously unknown principles. It is his hope that his new drugs will stop the seizures that resist conventional drugs. In the past decade his laboratory has discovered two new ways to stop seizures, and these are now in the early stages of drug development. One is related to the ketogenic diet, while the second relates to the neurosteroids. His group is also working on dietary approaches to seizure control. Their recent work suggests that supplementing a normal diet with polyunsaturated fatty acids might provide protection against seizures.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Burnham is an active participant in Ontario’s non-profit epilepsy movement, serving on the Boards of Epilepsy Toronto, and later Epilepsy Ontario. For these efforts, he has received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, an Honorary Pioneer Award from Epilepsy Canada, and the Ontario Volunteer Service Award. He is currently the President of Epilepsy Ontario.
Dive For A Cause 2008 - CURE
CURE, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization founded by parents of children with epilepsy who were frustrated with their inability to protect their children from the devastation of seizures and the side effects of medications. Unwilling to sit back and accept the debilitating effects of epilepsy, these parents joined forces to spearhead the search for a cure. Administrative costs are kept to a minimum, so that money raised can go directly towards finding a cure.
Our Mission
Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to finding a cure for epilepsy by raising funds for research
and by increasing awareness of the prevalence and devastation of this
disease.
CURE Research Grants
Since its inception in 1998, CURE has raised more than $8 million to
fund research and other initiatives that will lead the way to a cure
for epilepsy. CURE funds seed grants to young and established investigators
to explore new areas and collect the data necessary to apply for further
funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). To date, CURE has
awarded over 70 cutting edge projects.
CURE-Sponsored Conferences
Since its inception in 1998, CURE co-sponsored the National Institutes
of Health Conference, Curing Epilepsy: Focus on the Future in March
of 2000. This White House-initiated conference was the first of its
kind to focus on epilepsy. Since then, CURE has also lent support to
other relevant workshops and conferences, including the March 2007 NIH
Conference.
CURE Advocacy
Through its advocacy efforts, CURE has helped raise federal expenditures
by the NIH on epilepsy research from $68 million in 1998 to over $100
million so far. CURE was instrumental in the creation of the Epilepsy
Research Benchmarks, which were created to help guide the research community
toward a cure.
CURE has also worked to establish epilepsy as a disease which merits and now receives crucial funding support for research through the Department of Defense. Returning veterans with traumatic brain injury are at high risk of developing epilepsy.
Increasing Public Awareness
CURE is dedicated to raising public awareness about epilepsy and the
fact that so many patients are severely impacted by the disease. Without
a strong voice, epilepsy research will continue to lag behind that of
other diseases. Through the Annual Benefits in Chicago, and the recent
growth of fundraising efforts around the country, CURE is spreading
the word that the only solution is an increased focus on epilepsy research.
Prominent keynote speakers in Chicago have included First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton (1999 and 2003), Governor Jesse Ventura (2000), President
Bill Clinton (2001), Governor Rod Blagojevich (2001), Senator John Edwards
(2004), Senator Barack Obama (2005), and Meet the Press Host Tim Russert
(2007).
In addition, CURE’s website provides up to date information on research news, facts about epilepsy, research funding, CURE grants and special events.
The nominations for 2008 were:
- Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- Epilepsy
- Habitat for Humanity
- International Vasa Previa Foundation
The Venue / Events
The event location for 2008 was a drift dive down the Chippawa Creek in the area of Niagara Falla, ON.We thank all who joined us to raise funds for Epilepsy and win prizes for participants.
In 2008, Hart House Underwater Club held a satellite event with their Underwater Pumpking and Shore Carving Event
Join Heart House Underwater Club and other OUC member divers as we carve pumpkins and together Dive For a Cause this weeked at Cherry Beach park.
I am pleased to report that, for a second year in a row, Etobicoke Underwater Club’s Dive For a Cause committee has organized and executed a successful, safe and enjoyable event with strong support from EUC members, family and friends. This year we also welcomed Hart House Underwater Club (HHUC) as a partner in this event. Our event is becoming widely known within the scuba community and will undoubtedly attract new participants in the coming years.
This years’ event consisted of the primary part, held on August 23, 2008 at Chippewa Creek, Niagara Falls, ON and a satellite event organized by HHUC and held at Cherry Beach, Toronto, ON on October 25, 2008.
In total we had 35 registered participants raising a total of $7,570.00 for Epilepsy Research in North America. Our American participants had collected USD funds and those funds were donated to Citizens United For Epilepsy Research (CURE), Chicago, IL while the funds collected by our Canadian participants were donated to Epilepsy Ontario, University of Toronto Epilepsy Research Program (UTERP).
Our event would not have been possible without the volunteer time, funds and good will donated by many of our fellow divers, family and friends. Together we re-enforced that, as scuba divers, we are ready, willing and able to make a difference within our greater community.
Collected funds were submitted on four separate occasions to prevent issues surrounding stale dated cheques.
Here are the details:
- Epilepsy Ontario - $1,975.00 CAD
- CURE - $665.00 USD
- Epilepsy Ontario - $1,950.00 CAD
- Epilepsy Ontario - $2,980.00 CAD
- ...........Total - $7,570.00 TTL
I would like to thank our sponsors, Ontario Underwater Explorers (OUE) the organizers of the Scuba Swap and DJ Woods Productions Inc. for their in-kind donations.
Finally I invite you all to join next year in Dive-ing For a Cause.
Mike Krznaric
Chairperson, 2008 Dive For a Cause