Ride for Casey’s Cure postponed until Sept. 17

Published 9:15 am Tuesday, September 13, 2022

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The second annual Ride for Casey’s Cure has been postponed until Saturday, Sept. 17 due to rain over the weekend.

The motorcycle/jeep ride is organized by the local chapter of the Red Knights, a firefighter motorcycle club, to help raise funds to fund research for muscular dystrophy in honor of Casey Duffield.

Duffield is a local nurse who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Hereditary Myopathy with Early Respiratory Failure (HMERF) that will eventually become debilitating and fatal. Duffield became a nurse to help care for her father, who passed away from the disease.

The disease is so rare that only 11 people are known to have it. Because of its rarity, researchers across the country are researching Casey’s tissue samples in hopes of finding a cure. Researchers in Arizona have requested another sample in hopes of identifying what triggers the effects of the disease, which didn’t start for Duffield until she was in her 30s.

Researchers believe finding out what triggered the effects may help find a cure. In addition to other muscular dystrophy research, funds from the ride will be used to help send Duffield to Arizona.

The rescheduled benefit ride will be held at the Elks Lodge at 905 S Davis Rd. in LaGrange on Saturday, Sept. 17. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with kickstands up at 11 a.m.

The hour-long ride will start and end at the lodge with a route going through LaGrange. The route was developed by the Blue Knights, a police motorcycle group, who will also participate in the ride

Jeeps and trucks are also invited.

The event will feature a 50/50 raffle, along with food, drinks and door prizes.