Related: ESU game notes at Shippensburg (Saturday, 1 p.m.)

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University head football coach Denny Douds and his staff will join with college football coaches nationwide in support for the Coach to Cure MD program as the Warriors travel to Shippensburg for their PSAC East opener on Saturday.

The annual effort has raised more than $1.2 million dollars to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy as the initiative enters its ninth season.

American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) members will wear a Coach to Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines and fans are asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne.

Football fans can help support the fight to end Duchenne by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).

Last year, more than 10,000 college coaches at more than 525 different institutions participated in Coach to Cure MD events. The eight-year fundraising total is just over $1.2 million.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood and primarily affects boys across all races and cultures. People with Duchenne develop progressive muscle weakness that eventually causes loss of mobility, wheelchair dependency and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function. Currently, there is no cure for Duchenne and limited therapeutic options exist.

About the AFCA

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and is considered the primary professional organization for football coaches at all levels of competition. The 11,000-memberorganization includes more than 90 percent of head coaches at the 700-plus schools that sponsor football at the college level. Members include coaches from Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and Mexico.

About PPMD

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy - our mission is to end Duchenne.

We invest deeply in treatments for this generation of people affected by Duchenne and in research that will benefit future generations. We advocate in Washington, D.C., and have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. We demand optimal care, and we strength, unite and educate the global Duchenne community.

Everything we do - and everything we have done since our founding in 1994 - helps people with Duchenne live longer, stronger lives. We will not rest until every person has a treatment to end Duchenne. Go to ParentProjectMD.org for more information or to learn how you can support our efforts to help families affected by Duchenne.