Belgian company announces charity event to combat Duchenne disease

The pharmaceutical company Eyetec from Turnhout launches a wine tasting on Friday 26 August in Tielen (Kasterlee). The proceeds will go to Duchenne Heroes, an organization that raises money for research into duchenne muscle disease.

Duchenne is a progressive muscle disease that mainly affects boys, in which their muscles break down slowly. At an early age, between the ages of 8 and 13, duchenne boys end up in wheelchairs. Ultimately, the disease also affects the lung muscles and heart and requires ventilation. In our country, 1 in 3,500 boys are affected by the disease. Thanks to ventilation and the use of medication, the life expectancy of duchenne children has increased in recent years. Half of the patients are now turning about 30 years old.

To raise money for the research on duchenne, the company Eyetec from Turnhout organizes a wine tasting and sale on Friday 26 August from 17 to 1H in Tielen.

Eyetec already organized a rave in June, but to raise even more money it is now the turn of a wine sale. In September, some employees of the pharmaceutical company will take part in Duchenne Heroes, a seven-day mountain bike tour from Luxembourg to the Netherlands.

“Every participant in Duchenne Heroes raises at least 2,500 euros in sponsorship money. That money goes to research around duchenne, ” explains Gunther Coenen of Eyetec. “Of course we pay the registration fee of 395 euros per person ourselves. We participate with a number of colleagues so that the sponsorship money quickly adds up. We hope to raise a thousand euros with our wine sales. We sponsor the remaining amount ourselves as a company.”

The employees of Eyetec participate in the competition especially for Gijs Lenaerts from Go for Gijs, a boy from Oud-Turnhout who was born in 2008 with Duchenne’s disease. The wine tasting with wines from Wijnen Jacobs will take place on Friday in Kemelbeekstraat 80D in Tielen.