05/02/05 - “FLOWERS FOR HOPE”: HUNTER’S HOPE TO TEAM UP WITH TIM HORTONS THIS MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND

Buffalo, NY - Now you have no excuse to not give Mom just a little something this Mother’s Day! On Saturday, May 7th from 8 - 10am, all WNY area Tim Hortons will be selling carnations for $1. All proceeds from the Mother’s Day weekend flower sales will benefit the Hunter’s Hope Foundation and its campaign to expand Newborn Screening – something important to Moms everywhere.

Hunter’s Hope volunteers will be outside all Buffalo area Tim Hortons stores - and even at the drive thru window - asking for a donation of $1 or more in exchange for a carnation with a goal of raising $10,000. Mr. Jim Kelly himself will take part in the event by helping to sell flowers at his local Tim Hortons on Orchard Park Rd. in Orchard Park. “This is going to be so much fun,” said the Hall of Fame quarterback, “we are hoping for nice weather and a lot of donut and coffee lovers coming out to support the important cause of newborn screening,” said Kelly. “We at Hunter’s Hope are grateful to all of the Buffalo area Tim Hortons store owners for inviting us to be a part of their Mother’s Day weekend.”

Tim Horton’s is equally as excited about this event. Orchard Park store owners Fredy and Tara Stamm are looking forward to hosting the Kelly family at their store on Saturday. “As a mother myself, I am happy to support Hunters Hope and can’t think of a better gift for Moms across Buffalo than a flower that means something extra special.”

With each carnation, volunteers will be handing out information on Universal Newborn Screening, a program the Foundation is advocating for. Universal Newborn Screening would assure that every child born in the U.S. is screened for all diseases for which testing is available. Currently, of the more than 40 diseases available to be screened for at birth, most states screen for less than 10. It is estimated that each year 12,000 U.S. infants born with treatable diseases go untreated; over 3,000 die.

With early detection, children with Krabbe Disease can receive life-saving treatment. Kelly’s wife, Jill, spoke of this fundraiser’s significance. “As a mother, you always want the best for your child. So when you learn about newborn screening, you want your child to have all the tests that are available and not be limited to just what your state provides. This fundraiser will help us make Universal Newborn Screening a reality.”

Jim and Jill Kelly established the Hunter’s Hope Foundation in 1997 after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with Krabbe Leukodystrophy, an inherited, fatal, nervous system disease. The Foundation is the Kelly’s life long commitment to increase public awareness of leukodystrophies as well as to increase the likelihood of early detection and treatment. Their ultimate goal is to raise money to fund research efforts to identify new treatments, therapies, and a cure for Krabbe and other leukodystrophies. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $3.8 million to leukodystrophy and related neurological disease research.

There are currently more than 255 Tim Hortons stores in the United States, including more than 60 locations in Western New York and over 2,470 in Canada, making it that country’s largest seller of coffee and baked goods. The Tim Hortons chain was named after its founder, a National Hockey League (NHL) all-star defenseman, who died in a car accident in 1974.

The first ever Tim Hortons Flowers for Hope benefiting Hunter’s Hope is made possible through the support of key sponsors, including GRO Wholesale Florist, WKBW-TV ABC Buffalo and 97 Rock and Citadel Broadcasting.

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