A Veterans Day golf tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 11, will benefit ALS research and Cortexa Therapeutics. The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce member is a biotech startup founded by military veteran Nathan Cole after his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at age 31.
The 2nd Annual Fore a Cure Golf Fundraiser begins with an 8 a.m. shotgun start at Legacy Golf Course, 6808 S. 32nd St., Phoenix, according to a Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce news release.
Cortexa Therapeutics is listed as a Scottsdale Chamber member.
Individual golfers can register for $225. Team sponsorships cost $1,000, with 34 available.
The presenting sponsorship is $3,500. Other options include a lunch sponsorship at $2,500, a beverage cart sponsorship at $850, hole sponsorships at $500 and swag sponsorships at $750. Raffle item donations are also welcome.
Cole's story drew wider attention when 12News profiled his path from military service to ALS research. In that coverage, 12News described Cole as a Navy corpsman and Marine helicopter pilot who noticed abnormalities in his hands during Memorial Day weekend 2024 while flying helicopters in California.
Within months, he could no longer safely fly. A visit to his flight surgeon confirmed ALS.
Cole told 12News he did not want to be seen as a charity case. He wanted to be known as the founder of Cortexa Therapeutics, working to fight ALS.
Rather than accept the diagnosis, Cole spent months reviewing scientific literature and connecting with researchers, according to 12News.
He launched Cortexa Therapeutics to develop new treatments for the disease, which attacks nerve cells responsible for voluntary muscle movement. The company says its first program, called CRTX-101, targets calcium-related mechanisms that researchers have linked to neuronal damage in ALS.
The Meehan Group is the presenting sponsor for the Nov. 11 tournament. HighGround is the lunch sponsor. B3 Strategies, NEXA Lending and Heart Fit For Duty are among the team sponsors.
Registration details are available at cortexatherapeutics.com/events. For sponsorship inquiries, contact Heather Cole at Cortexa Therapeutics at [email protected].
