Rally Your School: Turn Team Spirit Into a Cure for PKAN

The fight against PKAN (Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration) needs an expanded roster of support. We are inviting high schools across the state and the nation to join the Miracles For Grady & Jace: Full Court For A Cure fundraising campaign.

Your school has the spirit, the energy, and the student body to make a profound difference in the lives of children like Grady, Jace, and Loic. Let's turn school spirit into a cure!

Every Team Counts: Why We Need Your Roster on the Court

PKAN is a brutal opponent, stealing movement and coordination from otherwise healthy kids. Families like the Binders are working hard to raise the $5 million needed to fund a life-saving gene therapy project, spearheaded by Sherine Blackford, founder of the Loving Loic Foundation. Every dollar your team raises gets us one step closer to winning the championship game.

Leadership: Showcase your students' capacity for philanthropy and community leadership.
Competition: Challenge a rival school to a friendly fundraising duel to see which team can raise the most!
Impact: All proceeds go directly to funding the cure for PKAN.

The Game Plan: Simple Plays for Big Impact

Here are simple, high-impact fundraising ideas that require minimal effort and can be run by any athletic department, student club, or council.

Miracle Minute Money Drop

This is the easiest way to raise money quickly!

How: During halftime of your basketball games between December 14 and January 14, announce a "Miracle Minute." Have students run through the stands with buckets/QR codes. Challenge the crowd to donate as much as possible in 60 seconds. If your gym has the ability to play a video, show our video ahead of the money drop.

Goal: Raise awareness about PKAN and collect immediate donations.

Local Business Challenge

This challenge utilizes your community connections to collect passive donations throughout the campaign!

How: Have students contact local businesses and ask them to display a collection jar and a campaign poster for the duration of the 31-day challenge.

Goal: Expand the campaign's footprint and generate passive, spontaneous cash donations from hundreds of customers over the 31-day period.

Sell Merch to Fund Research

This is your most direct way to generate sales and share the full story!

How: Set up a dedicated sales table at all home games and major school events to sell merchandise. Ensure students working the booth are trained to speak briefly about PKAN, the urgency of Grady and Jace's story, and can direct customers to the campaign website.

Goal: Provide visibility for the cause while generating donations for Loving Loic, as well as helping your team make money.

Opposing Team Challenge

This challenge turns your rivals into partners, maximizing sales and awareness!

How: Before your matchup, contact the rival school's Student Council or AD and challenge them to a Merchandise Sales Contest. Both schools compete internally to sell the most Full Court For A Cure merch during their last home game before the matchup. The winner, determined by total sales reported, gets bragging rights and a social media shout-out from your campaign at the rivalry game.

Goal: Drive sales volume by introducing a fair, competitive element to the campaign and generate excitement and media attention leading up to the schools' rivalry basketball game.

Rally the Fans: Use Your Voice

This is the easiest way to broadcast the PKAN cure mission to the whole state!

How: Follow and share every post from the official campaign accounts to your personal stories and feeds. Always use the hashtag #FullCourtForACure and tag key players for visibility. Also, post a large QR code in the school that links directly to the campaign website.

Goal: Maximize social media reach and drive web traffic to the donation page by using your school's network to spread the story of Grady and Jace statewide.

Pass the Word: Awareness Assist

This is the best way to ensure every student and family in your community knows the mission!

How: Work with the administration to execute a Poster Blitz (bulletin boards, business windows, locker rooms) and run a Parent Email Blast with the campaign link. Starting December 14th, arrange for a daily PA announcement giving campaign updates. Finally, use your social media to Challenge Your Rivals to participate and match your donation goals.

Goal: Ensure 100% awareness among the student body, faculty, and surrounding community families, using every communication channel available to expand the campaign's reach.