Rocking for Research at The Hard Rock -- Special Guest: Ed McCaffrey, Denver Broncos (1996-2003);...

DENVER -- Non-profit organization CureDuchenne has partnered with local "Whiz Kids" Lalith Polepeddi and Mike Polmear, Dr. Brian Tseng and the Denver Hard Rock Cafe for a rocking evening of food, fun and music to raise funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

The Denver

Hard Rock Cafe has selected CureDuchenne as their Ambassadors of Rock contest charity and will announce their support at the event, the "Rocking for Research" charity dinner on Saturday, August 12th. The event begins with a cocktail reception starting at 5:30 PM, followed by dinner, a live auction and mini-concert with Catchpenny, a hot new band from the mid-west. Also on hand to lend his support will be Ed McCaffrey, a former Denver Broncos wide receiver. Among the exciting donated items that will be auctioned off are two guitars generously donated by Gibson Guitars, one of which will be autographed by Catchpenny! At 9:00 PM, Catchpenny will give a performance that will be open to the public. Tickets for the "Rocking for Research" charity dinner event are $100 and can be purchased online at http://firstgiving.com/rocking4research, or by phone at (303) 646-2007. Catchpenny concert tickets are $5 and will be available on a "first come" basis at the door.

Proceeds from the charity dinner and the concert that follows by Catchpenny will be split between Dr. Tseng's Lab at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (where Mike and Lalith are doing their Duchenne research) and other promising research projects that could bring possible therapies and/or a cure to save this generation of Duchenne boys.

"We're really excited to support Mike and Lalith's Duchenne research and Dr. Tseng's Lab," said Debra Miller, co-founder of CureDuchenne. "These amazing young boys have put the scientific world on notice and their work may eventually lead to a viable therapy. We hope the local community will come out and support their efforts and have a great time Rocking for Research."

"We brought out a hot new band from Minnesota, called Catchpenny, who wrote a wonderful song for CureDuchenne called 'Chance for a Lifetime' (a song about a parent's love for their Duchenne child). These compassionate young men were sincerely touched by my son and this horrible disease. Their contribution has been selfless, and through their music they're helping us get the word out," said Mrs. Miller.

About Denver Hard Rock Cafe's Ambassador of Rock Contest

The Denver Hard Rock Cafe's Ambassador of Rock contest winner will be announced before the second set of the Catchpenny concert. Participants are able to enter to win at the cafe beginning July 10th, 2006. The lucky winner will win a trip for two (2) to the New York Ambassador of Rock Concert in September, 2006. Winners will receive airfare, three (3) night's hotel stay, $250 spending cash (for winner only), two (2) tickets to the event and airport transfers. For more information about The Hard Rock Cafe's Ambassador of Rock promotion, visit their website at www.hardrock.com, send an email to Denver_sales@hardrock.com, or call at (303) 623-0856.

About the "Whiz Kids"

Lalith Polepeddi and Mike Polmear, two high school seniors at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado, have taken a new approach to finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. They are testing the effect of various membrane sealants on the leaky dystrophin-deficient membranes of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy cells. The purpose of their project is to develop an effective treatment that will strengthen the cell membranes. "This is not a cure and the research is very preliminary, but it is a direction that has not been explored before," said Dr. Brian Tseng, a muscular dystrophy researcher at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and a doctor at The Children's Hospital of Denver. Tseng worked with the students on this project. For more information about the "Whiz Kids," visit TsengLab at www.uchsc.edu/sm/neuro/dmd/intro.htm or contact Brian Tseng, MD/PhD, at brian.tseng@uchsc.edu.

About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

Every year, an estimated 20,000 babies (almost all of them boys) are born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). For those children afflicted with this disease, their muscle cells will die and not regenerate, they will be in wheel chairs by age 10 and, historically, most have not survived their teenage years. An estimated 1 in every 3,500 boys worldwide is affected by DMD. It knows no boundaries and crosses all cultures and races. There currently is no cure, but for the first time there are promising therapies on the horizon.

About CureDuchenne

CureDuchenne is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Debra and Paul Miller. Their only son, Hawken, was diagnosed at the age of six with DMD, the most common and lethal childhood genetic disorder. CureDuchenne's Vision is its name...to cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. CureDuchenne aggressively seeks out and funds research and expedites practical therapies that will help save this generation of Duchenne boys. For more information about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and CureDuchenne, visit our website at www.cureduchenne.org, or call (949) 721-4063.

For more information on Catchpenny, visit their website at www.catchpennyband.com, or send an email to christianschauf@gmail.com.