High School students raise money for Friedreich's Ataxia

A group of high school students in Sioux Falls is trying to raise awareness about Friedreich's Ataxia through a musical theater show at the Orpheum Theater in Downtown Sioux Falls. Ten students have been working on the project, which they call "FA for FA," short for Fine Arts for Friedreich's Ataxia. It is a student led, student run, and community supported organization geared at raising awareness and money for Friedreich's Ataxia.

The idea for the project started with a fellow musical performer in Sioux Falls, Raena Brendtro, who was diagnosed with FA in 2013. FA is a debilitating, life-shortening, neuromuscular disorder that affects about 15,000 people worldwide.

The students felt that too many people were unaware of what FA is and what effect it has on people. As a result, FA for FA was born.

The students will be holding an event, Curtain Call for a Cure, on Friday at 7:00 PM at the Orpheum Theater. During the event, a group of high school aged performers will stage several musical theater numbers from well known musicals. Between the songs, information about FA will be presented to the audience by doctors, parents, and researchers in the FA community. The goal of the theater event is to raise $10,000 to directly donate to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) for FA research. If you would like to purchase tickets for the event, then find the related link in this article located at the top of this page.