The Gate Foundation, Making a Muscle and Making a Difference

With the approach of St. Patrickâ??s Day, The GATE Foundation, via its Green Shamrock Campaign, will support the Muscular Dystrophy Associationâ??s quest to cure neuromuscular diseases.  From March 1-21, 2013, all GATE convenience stores will sell $1 green shamrock lapel pins.  Please stop by any GATE location and help conquer Neuromuscular Diseases!

Every year thousands of businesses participate in the shamrock program all around the country.  "Our local businesses that participate in the program show they genuinely care about children and adults in our community who live with muscular dystrophy," stated Lauren Herringdine, MDA First Coast Executive Director.

"GATE customers are dedicated to giving to their local communities.  Every dollar donated by our customers through this campaign will benefit the specific community/ MDA division in which it was collected," said Hill Peyton, Chairman, The GATE Foundation.

MDAâ??s Shamrocks Against Dystrophy program directly helps local families that are affected by the 43 diseases that the Association covers, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and ALS (Lou Gehrigâ??s Disease).  Proceeds from the shamrock sales help to support the Associationâ??s worldwide research program, as well as MDAâ??s national network of 225 hospital-affiliated clinics, including the University of Florida and The Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville.

Shamrock sales also help send some 1,200 children with muscular dystrophy to barrier free MDA summer camp like Camp Suwannee in Dowling Park, Fla.

For more information about the Shamrocks Against Dystrophy program or MDA, please contact Lauren Herringdine at the Jacksonville East District office at (904) 296-7434, or visit the website at www.mda.org.

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Dedicated to the eradication of the muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigâ??s disease), myasthenia gravis, the spinal muscular atrophies, Friedreichâ??s ataxia and a host of other neuromuscular diseases. For more information visit www.mdausa.org.

The GATE Foundation

GATE is a privately-held, diversified corporation headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., the 17th largest in Florida in 2012 (Florida Trend magazine).  As the philanthropic arm of the company, The GATE Foundation supports efforts and services that nurture and protect the well-being of family and community.  For more information on The GATE Foundation, contact Kathy Brady at (904) 737-7220 or visit www.myGATEstore.com/Community.