This year we had a team of 23 walking or running in the Sun Herald City2Surf. Our team was led by Professor Robert Ouvrier, Head of the Institute for Neuromuscular Research and included Leanne Mills and Arahni Sont from the INMR, plus patients’ family members and friends. Some of the Team were able to meet up during the race, or at the Children's Hospital at Westmead "Think Kids Challenge" tent at the end. Through the Everyday Hero online fundraising page plus some offline donations, we were able to raise over $5000.

These funds will be used towards the purchase of a complex software package called Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. The INMR scientists are currently developing state-of-the-art technology - using tiny chips called "microarrays" - that allows them to simultaneously measure the activity of more than 20,000 different genes in a single sample of patient muscle. They will use the software to help interpret the huge amounts of information generated by these experiments as it provides tools for visualising and analysing complex data. The Ingenuity package will allow them to use the microarray results to build a detailed molecular understanding of how a single change in a DNA strand can have such terrible effects in a disease like muscular dystrophy - and potentially, how to halt or even reverse those effects.

After weeks of wild storms and heavy rain, the players in this year’s Meriton Sydney Invitational enjoyed fabulous weather, with blue sunny skies and 30 degree windless days – a golfer’s delight.

Now in its 5th year, the 256 players tested their games at Terrey Hills, Macquarie Links, the Lakes and finally at the newly revamped Cromer course.

This unique event was again very well supported with World #63, Brendan Jones headlining the tournament, along with tournament winner, Scott Laycock, Terry Price, Cameron Percy, Chris Campbell, and young guns James Nitties and Kurt Barnes. The ALPG section of the event saw Joanne Mills desperate to hold off a slew of players including Loraine Lambert, Kristie Newton and last years winner Shani Waugh.

The four day event concluded with a Gala Charity Dinner at Star City Casino with more than 350 players, sponsors and guests enjoying the sounds of Neil Diamond impersonator, Peter Byrne and his band. The night was bought to a close with Harry and Rhonda Triguboff presenting a cheque for $50,000 to the INMR. Professor Robert Ouvrier (Head) and Professor Kathryn North (Deputy Head) represented the INMR.

The Meriton event has now raised in excess of $255,000 for charity, of which $200,000 has gone to the INMR. We would like to thank John Small and Neil Warren for organising the event, all the players and the Major Sponsor, Meriton. We also note the ongoing generosity of the 2008 Platinum Sponsors namely Club Car, Tyrell’s Wines and Horwitz Publications (Golf Australia). We also wish to thank this year’s Gold Sponsors (Ecco, Tasco, Display Systems Australia, Macquarie Bank and Bradman’s) and those companies donating gifts for the silent auction held at the Gala Charity Dinner.