On Saturday, February 1, 2025, the Maugee family held their 3rd Runway to the Cure, a unique fundraising gala in Ft Lauderdale, FL. This event was a night of friendship, delicious food, dancing, and purpose in support of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) research.
The Maugee family began their journey fundraising for a cure when twins Isabel Maugee and Christian Maugee (now 26 years old) were diagnosed at age 9. The Maugee family has since built a community with other FA families, as evidenced by the attendance at Runway to the Cure. 10 individuals with FA, including 3 from other states, enjoyed the evening along with members of the local community, representatives from multiple pharmaceutical companies, and even clinicians and researchers from the University of Florida (UF).
The event was held from 6 to 10 PM in a Banyan Air hangar at the Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport. Several speakers, including Caroline and Christian Maugee, Barry Byrne (UF), and Ron Bartek (FARA) communicated the impact of the attendees’ support on FA research and the lives of the patients in the room. In total, more than $130,000 was raised for FARA!
I had the pleasure of being one of the 10 individuals with FA to attend the event. It was indescribable to be in a room with 200+ people caring about me and my friends. Besides being with FAmily, my favorite part was the auction. There were so many amazing things to bid on, including soap carved and decorated to look like designer purses, beautiful artwork made by two individuals with FA, fun baskets, experiences, and more. There were also some mystery items, cleverly named “lost luggage.” I was sitting on the edge of my seat while the DJ read out the winning ticket numbers and I raced to look at my tickets and see if any matched. It was fun to hear the silence of the room broken by a table cheering because they won!
Thank you so much to the Maugee family and everyone who made this incredible evening happen. Stay tuned for the date of the next Runway to the Cure. I can’t wait to attend!
Written by
Shandra Trantham