The Charleston RiverDogs have yet again left a large paw print on the fight against blindness and retinitis pigmentosa.
Prior to the Thursday, July 29 contest against the Greenville Drive at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols presented a check for $20,000 to Dr. Ed Wilson and Dr. Craig Crosson of the MUSC Storm Eye Institute.
The donation comes primarily from the RiverDogs’ 11th annual Kindness Beats Blindness auction, which was held on June 26 of this year.
The auction came as a result of RiverDogs President Mike Veeck’s daughter, Rebecca, being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of inherited diseases causing retinal degeneration. Veeck and his wife, Libby, have dedicated themselves and most of their charitable efforts toward fighting blindness.
“To work hand-in-hand with the Charleston community for such a worthy cause is something we, as an organization, really look forward to every year,” said Echols. “Seeing first-hand the effect this disease can have on a family adds a level of personality and affection to our auction efforts.”
With proceeds amounting in the thousands each of the 11 years of the auction, the team and the Charleston community as a whole have raised more than $400,000 towards preventative research for the degenerative disease.
For more information on the MUSC Storm Eye institute and their effort to battle RP and other degenerative retinal diseases visit www.muschealth.com/eyes.
