ThorSport Racing and Dakoda Armstrong will honor a foundation special to the driver’s family this weekend at Homestead with the help of Drive For Savings. The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) logo will ride on the No. 98 Ferrellgas/EverFi/Drive For Savings Chevrolet to raise awareness and aid in finding a cure for this debilitating disease. A cause very close to Armstrong and his family, the UMDF works to promote research and education for the diagnosis, treatment and cure of mitochondrial diseases and to provide support for affected individuals and families. Armstrong’s cousins, Erikka and Seth, were both diagnosed with mitochondrial disorders.
“We are very delighted that Dakoda is helping us raise awareness for mitochondrial disease. This disease affects his family, and we are honored that he is supporting us in so many ways, including putting the logo on his truck,” said CEO/Executive Director of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Charles A. Mohan, Jr.
Mitochondrial diseases result from the failure of the mitochondria, which are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed to support growth and sustain life and are located in the cells of our bodies. When mitochondria fail, less energy is produced causing cell injury or cell death, and on a larger scale, some organ systems can even shut down. There is currently no cure for mitochondrial disease.
“I’m really honored to have UMDF riding with us at Homestead this weekend,” Armstrong commented. “I was made aware of the disease and the foundation because Erikka and Seth were both diagnosed and the disease affects their everyday life. Being so close to home you see how much it affects them, so we’ll do anything we can do to help the cause and try to find a cure.”
Drive For Savings provides solutions to the lack of funding issue that most organizations face on a daily basis by creating innovative fundraising programs that meet the specific needs of any organization through the sale of discount cards. Drive For Savings cards are linked to a nationwide discount program that offers discounts at over 260,000 locations and are sold for $25 each. Each card sale earns money for the specific organization that sells it. Drive For Savings has created a specific program for UMDF, with different chapters of the foundation all over the United States selling the UMDF discount cards to raise money for awareness and to find a cure.
“We are so happy that Dakoda wants to be a part of the Drive For Savings and UMDF program,” Co-Founder and CFO of Drive For Savings Casey Kemerly said. “With two of his cousins effected with mitochondrial disease, Dakoda had to grow up knowing that they couldn’t do all of the things he could do. But Dakoda always took the time to play with Seth when he could not do what the other boys were doing. Erikka and Dakoda are just a year and half apart, and you can see how close they were from home videos they made when they were younger. Dakoda has a big heart and wants to see both of his cousins doing well again.”
ThorSport Racing PR
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