Proceeds to fund research efforts targeting CureDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy

DETROIT – Cadillac  will again support CureDuchenne and its fight against muscular dystrophy in young boys by donating its corporate Super Bowl XLVI tickets in a charity auction to raise awareness and money for the organization.

CureDuchenne, a non-profit based in Newport Beach, Calif., will auction 19 Super Bowl XLVI packages provided by Cadillac. Each package includes hotel accommodations and a pair of tickets to Super Bowl XLVI, scheduled to be played Sunday, Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The auction runs on the charity auction website charitybuzz.com through Jan. 25.  . Proceeds will benefit leading edge research to eventually find a cure for Duchenne, a progressive form of Muscular Dystrophy. Beginning this week, Cadillac will debut a series of announcements featuring NFL Linebacker Clay Matthews to promote the auction.

“This is a meaningful way to support this great innovative organization for this year’s Super Bowl,” said Don Butler, Cadillac vice president of Global Marketing. “This is a disease that knows no boundaries and deeply affects families – including some right here in our own family at Cadillac.”

Matthews, a member of the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers and three-time Pro Bowl nominee, says he is proud to lend his time and support.

“I consider myself very fortunate to be a voice for Duchenne and the CureDuchenne organization,” he said. “With the help and support of Cadillac, and so many great people across the globe, CureDuchenne is getting closer to finding a cure for this devastating disease.”

Currently 20,000 boys and young men are affected by Duchenne in the United States. It is a genetic disease that occurs in one of 3,500 boys worldwide. Boys with Duchenne are usually diagnosed by the age of five, in a wheelchair by age 12, and may be completely paralyzed by their late teens. Historically, most Duchenne patients do not live to see adulthood.

Duchenne can occur in any family, from any race and from any background. Currently, there is no cure, but for the first time there is hope that the current research may result in treatments which will greatly improve the lives of Duchenne boys.

“Last year’s ticket donation raised significant dollars and helped us fund leading-edge, gene therapy research and a dedicated Duchenne clinic at UCLA,” said Debra Miller, who founded CureDuchenne with her husband in 2003. “Our mission of extending and improving the lives of the 300,000 boys worldwide afflicted with Duchenne is more likely realized because of Cadillac’s generosity.”

Cadillac began its support of the CureDuchenne organization in 2010, when its Super Bowl XLV ticket auction  raised more than $500,000 for the organization. That was followed by a contest on the American Chopper series on the Discovery Channel last summer. “American Chopper” challenged the highly competitive father-and-son duo Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. in a contest to design and build the best Cadillac design-inspired chopper.

To date, Cadillac has helped raise more than $750,000 for CureDuchenne and expects this year’s ticket auction to top last year’s.