Manalapan-Based Charity To Host Golf Outing For Fatal Disease

MONMOUTH COUNTY — With the purpose of fundraising for a fatal disease affecting children - including one young Manalapan resident - local nonprofit Jar of Hope is prepping its third annual Golf Outing slated for Aug. 13.

Proceeds will fund research surrounding Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a very rare and relatively unknown but always-fatal disease that affects about 1 in every 3,500 live births. Only about 20,000 kids in the U.S. have it according to JAR Of Hope, the Manalapan-based organization that helps families affected by the disease.

The fundraising event is happening at Mercer Oaks Golf Course in Princeton Junction.

There will be prizes for teams and individuals, as well as raffles ranging from gift baskets to a hole-in-one car giveaway sponsored by All American Ford. Sponsorship opportunities and individual golfer and corporate registration can be accessed here.

Jar of Hope was founded by Manalapan residents Jim and Karen Raffone, whose son, James Anthony, was diagnosed with Duchenne.

To raise money for the search for a cure, Raffone has completed some of the hardest races on the planet, ranging from a seven-day 171-mile run through the desert to a 12-day trek throughout New Zealand and Australia. READ MORE: Manalapan Dad To Walk 300 Miles For Cure For Son's Fatal Disease

Raffone's now-12-year-old son is still walking, but he’s getting to the age where kids start losing that ability.

“These children are dying horrible deaths," Raffone said. “But this golf outing is a chance to get together with friends and neighbors… and to fund research that could save these kids’ lives. And maybe give them the chance to participate in a golf tournament themselves one day.”

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