Directions Spring 2020

5 th Annual Chicago Gala of Hope On February 21, 2020, more than 200 guests gathered at the Ivy Room in Chicago, IL, for the 5thAnnual Cure SMA Gala of Hope. This incredible evening raisedmore than $120,000 in support of Cure SMA. This fun event brought together families, researchers, doctors, business leaders, and generous supporters to raise funds to find treatments and a cure for SMA. The evening featured cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, live auction, and live entertainment. Comedian, BrettWalkow, was theMC and a live performance from the band, Shout Out, kept everyone on the dance floor all night! A special thank you to the title sponsor, AveXis, for their generous support, as well as to the other sponsors who generously supported this event: Biogen, Genentech, Alight, Ivy Room, andAtlas Forms & Graphics Inc. Thank you to all the committee members and volunteers for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the success of this event, especiallyMariaMarusich and the O’Brien family and their friends.

Chapter Update During her years of service as the Illinois Chapter President, Janet Schoenborn, welcomed and supported newly diagnosed families, connected patients with resources, and helped create a community for local Illinois SMA families. Janet also served as a leader on the LibertyvilleWalk-n-Roll committee and tirelessly fundraised in honor of her son, Samuel. Thank you to Janet for all her hard work and dedication.

Note: The amounts raised and shown are totals as of April 30, 2020 and may differ from current fundraising totals by the time you get this newsletter.

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DIRECTIONS | SPRING 2020

EVENTS RECAP