The Dominican University women’s basketball team is raising money and awareness for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) through March 25^th when the team’s efforts will culminate at the Milwaukee Muscle Walk.  The Stars are part of a three-team effort in the Northern Athletics Conference, raising money for Rally for Reagan along with Concordia University Wisconsin and Alverno College.

At the Stars January 7^th home game against the Concordia Wisconsin Falcons, the Stars are taking $1 suggested donations at the door and will sponsor a number of raffle prizes including a 50/50 split the pot.  Then on January 16^th, the Stars will travel to Milwaukee, Wis., to take on the Alverno Inferno where the fundraising efforts will continue.

As part of the Rally for Reagan team, the Stars are raising money in celebration of Reagan Imhoff, a seven-year old that was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type II shortly after her first birthday.  SMA, one of the forty-plus neuromuscular diseases that MDA supports, is a neuromuscular disorder affecting all voluntary muscles.  Due to her weakened muscles, Reagan has never been able to walk or crawl and SMA has made eating enough food by mouth a challenge.  Additionally, Reagan’s weakened respiratory muscles make coughing and taking deep breaths while sleeping challenging and has led to increased tendency for pneumonia, among other respiratory issues.

Reagan’s mother Jenny Imhoff has close ties to all three participating schools, having played club basketball with Concordia Wisconsin’s head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones and having served on the Alverno College women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach alongside current Dominican University assistant coach Nicole Kopacz.

For more information on Reagan’s story visit http://www.rally4reagan.com/ or to make a donation on the Stars’ Rally for Reagan team page click here.