1st Dystonia Day at San Diego Zoo Raises Awareness & Funds for Research

The first-ever Dystonia Day at San Diego Zoo took place November 3 to raise dystonia awareness and funds for medical research toward a cure. The event was spearheaded by Martha Murphy, who leads the Dystonia Support & Advocacy Group of San Diego County. Special guests included Marcus Bush, representative of San Diego City Council Member Georgette Gomez.

“It was an important and fun means to help increase awareness for our disorder and also raise funds to support DMRF programs including vital dystonia research,” says Martha. “As we traveled through the Zoo wearing our brightly colored, lime green t-shirts and people asked us what we were doing, we were able to help educate those who had, most likely, never heard of dystonia before. These create teachable moments!”

Event sponsors include Allergan, US WorldMeds, Merz, Medtronic, Ipsen, Target, Alvarado Hospital Auxiliary, Copy-It and X-treme Apparel.

Dystonia Zoo Walks offer a “twist” on traditional charity walks with no required walking course or expectation other than enjoying a morning at the zoo connecting with others in the dystonia community and promoting awareness.

The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing research for improved dystonia treatments and ultimately a cure, promoting awareness, and supporting the well-being of affected individuals and families.