THE MATHEW FORBES ROMER FOUNDATION NAMES BERNIE MARCUS, CO-FOUNDER OF HOME DEPOT, HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF “CELEBRATION OF SCREENING”

Boca Raton, FL, February 9, 2015: The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation (MFRF), a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and research of children’s genetic diseases of the brain, announced today it has named Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot and Chairman of the Marcus Foundation, the honorary chairman of the Foundation’s “Celebration of Screening” on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Marcus has been a long-time supporter of genetic screening,

The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation’s “Celebration of Screening” day will include an unprecedented Genetic Screening and Education Event in Boca Raton. It will feature on-site counseling and screening or the option to conduct the testing at home. The “Celebration of Screening” will culminate with “An Evening of Sweetness & Laughter,” which will feature a private movie screening of the 40th Anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail – the funniest movie of all time, a sumptuous dinner and dessert reception, and the “See the Light” Awards Ceremony. The Foundation will honor two pioneers of genetic screening during the ceremony in addition to sharing a testimonial from Mr. Marcus about his vision to provide screening options for everyone, wherever and whenever people want it at the lowest price.

“When we built the Home Depot, we knew getting the price down was the critical factor, while having the quality of the merchandise,” said Mr. Marcus. “So here we are talking about the same thing. We are talking about quality testing, so you can be assured that the tests are going to be accurate. And quality counseling afterwards, where people work with you one on one to help you make the decisions you have to make.”

“The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation is honored to join forces with the Marcus Foundation in realizing our shared vision for universal quality genetic screening and we look forward to our upcoming ‘Celebration of Screening’ event,” said Kevin Romer, President of the Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation.

Tickets for the Celebration of Screening Awards Ceremony are available for purchase at https://mfrfoundation.org/help_details.php?event=48. Discounted tickets and sponsorships have been extended to February 22, 2015.

About The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation

Inspired by the strength of Mathew Romer, who lost his eight-year battle with Tay-Sachs disease in 2003, The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation (MFRF) was founded in South Florida 16 years ago with a mission to promote and lead critical awareness, testing, counseling, and research initiatives that hold promise for the prevention and eventual cure of fatal children’s genetic diseases of the brain.

Since being launched, the Foundation has:

  • Created and hosted South Florida Genetic Screening and Education Fairs since 2003 reaching thousands of people through these efforts.  Partnerships have included JScreen, the Victor Center, and Genzyme Genetics.
  • Co-Founded the National Research Initiative with the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association in 2002; raised $3M in grants, which has resulted in 42 research projects;
  • Funded several projects that have led to large National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants resulting in over $10 million towards goal;
  • Helped establish the Tay-Sachs Gene Therapy Consortium with a plan to get to clinical trials following successful results with mice, cats, and sheep; Unprecedented critical findings around dosage safety being addressed before review with Food & Drug Administration (FDA);
  • Created and grew pediatric nursing scholarships across five colleges and universities and created an in-home community-based nursing school educational program in partnership with the Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University Colleges of Nursing.

The MFRF is the South Florida affiliate of National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association (NTSAD), one of the oldest patient advocacy groups in the country, and a member of the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium. The President of the MFRF (Kevin Romer) is also the immediate Past President of NTSAD. The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation was recognized in 2014 with the Best of Boca Raton Award – Education & Research Foundation. For more information, visit www.mfrfoundation.org.

About The Marcus Foundation

Bernie Marcus is chairman of the board of The Marcus Foundation, which focuses on Jewish causes, children, medical research, free enterprise and the community. Mr. Marcus co-founded The Home Depot, Inc., the world’s largest home improvement retailer, and served as chairman of the board until his retirement in 2002.  His company revolutionized the home improvement business with its warehouse concept.  

Contact:
Melissa Perlman
BlueIvy Communications
561-310-9921
melissa@blueivycommunications.com

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