Trendway Employees Hold Cruise-In Fundraiser for Brothers with Muscular Dystrophy
__
Holland, Mich. . . . Trendway employees, under the leadership of Facilities Maintenance Coordinator, Ken Harper, and Field Service Technician, Ed Elzinga, are holding their seventh annual “Benefit Cruise-In” to raise funds for Tyler and Dylan Dekraker, two brothers with Muscular Dystrophy (MD). The Benefit Cruise-In will be held Friday, September 5, 2008 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Trendway headquarters, 13467 Quincy Street, Holland Township. Admission is free.

Tyler and Dylan Dekraker
Holland residents, seventeen-year old Tyler and seven-year old Dylan are brothers who have both been diagnosed with MD. There are two kinds of MD – Beckers and Duchennes. Tyler, diagnosed seven years ago, has a derivative of both that is called Mosaic MD. Then, a year later, Dylan was diagnosed with the disease. For six years all the family could do was pray and deal with the symptoms. A new research study was announced earlier this year. Dylan was able to meet the protocol measurements of the study, but Tyler was not. Therefore, for the next year the family will be taking Dylan to Cincinnati every six weeks. The family hopes and prays that this drug trial will be successful in reducing some of the effects of this disease. According to the children’s father, Kelvin Dekraker, “Dylan has been taking this drug longer than any other boy on the planet. We are hoping that his enduring spirit and determination will help other little boys throughout the whole world.”

Benefit Cruise-In
The Benefit Cruise-In event will include a car show of street rods, customs, motorcycles, trucks, restored vehicles, and even an old Caddy motor home. There will be a $5 donation per participating vehicle. In addition to the wide variety of motor transportation on exhibit, there will be special activities for the kids, food, entertainment, raffles, a DJ, and much more. Dash Plaques will be given to the first 50 cars in attendance.

A special feature of the 2008 Benefit Cruise-In will be the opportunity for attendees to see some extraordinary automobiles rarely seen on the car show circuit. Last year there was a Ford Thunderbolt, which is one of 100 built in 1964; a ’57 Corvette that has been driven only 300 miles since 1971; a customized ’62 Corvette; and a 1962 Chevy bubble top. The special exhibit cars are owned by two local collectors and will be available for viewing in an indoor arena only. There will be an expert on hand to talk about these automobiles and their unique features. A donation of $2 will be asked at the door for this singular experience.

According to Elzinga, he expects more than 200 show vehicles to participate.

Who benefits?
The purpose of this annual Trendway employee event is to help families facing serious financial challenges as the result of a family member’s health problems. More than $70,000 has been raised over the last six years to assist families from around the greater West Michigan area.

The Dekraker family will be in attendance. “In fact,” says Elzinga “most of the individuals who have been helped by this event over the past six years will be here, with the exception of Amber Brunmeier, who is away at college, and Hunter Harper, who is living in Houston, TX awaiting a liver transplant. It is an amazing fact that every year past recipients and their families continue to participate in this event as volunteers.”

“It is clear we have made a difference, not only for the people we have helped, but for the community as a whole,” says Harper, who started the first Trendway Benefit Cruise-In in 2002. “We have increased awareness of some dreadful diseases and medical issues, and the debilitating impact they can have on people’s lives. Also, as we’ve helped these families through some tough times, we’ve created some amazing role models. Amber Brunmeier, the 2006 beneficiary, is a perfect example. Having conquered her Anorexia Nervosa, Amber has gone on to be a spokesperson about the disease, speaking to and meeting with young people across the state.”

Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular Dystrophy affects one (1) in every 3,000 boys in America. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, MD is a group of more than 30 genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. Some forms of MD are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later. The disorders differ in terms of the distribution and extent of muscle weakness (some forms of MD also affect cardiac muscle), age of onset, rate of progression, and pattern of inheritance.

There is no specific treatment to stop or reverse any form of MD. Treatment may include physical therapy, respiratory therapy, speech therapy, orthopedic appliances used for support, and corrective orthopedic surgery.

For more information on Trendway’s Benefit Cruise-In event, contact Ed Elzinga at 616-212-3544 or Ken Harper at 616-218-1570.