Harper’s Hope Golf Tournament and Auction Benefits ALS

The second annual Harper’s Hope Golf Tournament to benefit the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS at the MCV Foundation was held in May at the Country Club of Virginia Tuckahoe Creek Course. The event was a great success with 150 participants attending the reception and live auction, and 92 golfers playing in the tournament. More than $40,000 was raised for the VCU ALS clinic, which provides research and care for patients and their families in Virginia.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The Harper’s Hope Fund was established two years ago by the late Vic Harper and his family, with the goal of making a difference in ALS research and care. The Harper family sought to improve the clinical program, put resources in patient’s hands, and educate the medical and general public about the disease and seek a cure.

Scott Vota, D.O., VCU associate professor and interim chair of neurology, residency program director, commented, “Harper’s Hope continues to provide valuable resources and support to our clinical, research and educational missions surrounding ALS care. Over the last year, research continues to progress toward improving the lives of patients inflicted with such a devastating disease. The efforts of the Harper family and the Harper’s Hope Fund continue to get us closer to a cure.”

To learn more about the Harper’s Hope Fund for ALS, please contact Brian S. Thomas, vice president and chief development officer of the MCV Foundation, at (804) 828-0067 or brian.thomas@vcuhealth.org.