Local Cure JM Foundation Accepts Donation From Warsaw Martin's Super Market
Posted
Staff Report-
SOUTH BEND – The staff of Martin’s Super Markets, 1150 Husky Trail, Warsaw, presented a $667 donation Friday to representatives of the local chapter of Cure JM Foundation. Katherine Alderfer, 7, accepted the check on behalf of the organization’s officials. She was diagnosed with Juvenile Myositis at 3 years old. The disease has no known cause. Sufferers experience a wide array of symptoms, but all are the result of the malfunction of the body’s autoimmune systems. The donated funds are the direct result of efforts by the Martin’s store in its recent company-wide Snapshot with Santa program. All 21 Martin’s stores invited the public to visit their locations Dec. 14-15 and, for a $2 donation, have a photo taken with a Martin’s Santa Claus. In total, more than $3,800 was raised and donated to 21 different local charities. Afterward, each store posted a photo from the event on Martin’s Facebook page, and the public was encouraged to vote for their “favorite” store Santa. When the votes were counted, the Martin’s Warsaw store had received the most votes and was able to donate an additional $500 to its chosen charity. In this case, it was Cure JM. “We were determined to get the most votes, because we are so committed to Katherine and the cause she represents,” says Kami Johnson, the Warsaw store’s community affairs representative. “The $667 we were able to donate reflects a combination of the photos sessions and our Facebook supporters. And since over 95 percent of funding goes directly to research, we feel we’re making a direct contribution to helping find a cure for this disease.” Cure JM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for Juvenile Myositis. JM is a group of rare and life-threatening autoimmune conditions affecting approximately 17,000 children in the United States alone, according to a press release from Martin’s. Its mission is to provide support for families coping with JM, raise awareness of JM and fund research that will ultimately lead to a cure. Martin’s Super Markets was founded in 1947 and currently has 21 stores in South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, Elkhart, Goshen, Plymouth, Nappanee, Logansport and Warsaw, Ind., and Niles, Stevensville and St. Joseph, Mich.
