The 9th Annual ROMP FOR RESEARCH Set for October 12th in New York City

NEW YORK - Oct. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- The LuMind Foundation is hosting the ninth annual ROMP FOR RESEARCH on Sunday, October 12, 2014 from 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm at Asphalt Green, located at 555 East 90th Street in Manhattan (York Avenue between 90th and 92nd streets).

The ROMP FOR RESEARCH is open to the public and features performers, music, art and games, sports, food and drinks for people of all ages. Admittance is free, but donations are encouraged to support research to improve cognition, including learning memory and speech, in people with Down syndrome. All contributions are tax deductible. More information can be found at www.rompforresearch.com.

“The ROMP has become one of the largest events that raise awareness about the talents and passions of people with Down syndrome as well as raising money for important Down syndrome cognition research efforts,” explains Anthony Providenti, who along with co-founding the event also serves as co-chair of the organizing committee. “Down syndrome research doesn’t receive a lot of government funding, so private funding has fueled the tremendous breakthroughs made over the last decade.”

The LuMind Foundation has awarded grants to leading research institutions including Johns Hopkins, University of California San Diego, Emory University, University of Arizona and Stanford University. Thanks to events such as the ROMP FOR RESEARCH, LuMind Foundation can continue to support key research initiatives, including proactive engagement of pharmaceutical companies to advance the development of drugs based on this exciting and promising new approach with the goal of improving cognition, learning and memory in individuals with Down syndrome. Based on LuMind-supported research results, there are three ongoing drug clinical trials being conducted internationally by Roche, Balance Therapeutics, and Elan.

The ROMP is held each October in celebration of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Participants, called ROMPERS, enjoy a day of family fun in a playground setting with free events. Teams raise donations to support the LuMind Foundation and the event has many corporate and individual sponsors. For more information visit www.rompforresearch.com.

About LuMind Foundation

LuMind Foundation (http://www.lumindfoundation.org/), formerly the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF), is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, aimed at accelerating the development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, for individuals with Down syndrome. LuMind Foundation is the leading source of private funding supporting research at major research centers, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego, and University of Arizona. Since its founding in 2004, LuMind Foundation has committed more than $10.5 million to fund results-driven research programs that will benefit children and adults with Down syndrome, and has been instrumental in the initiation of clinical trials now under way.

About the ROMP

ROMP FOR RESEARCH was founded in 2006 by LuMind Foundation volunteers, Anthony Providenti (current Board member) of New York City and Stephen Lazare (former Board member) of Pleasantville, New York. To date, the ROMP has raised more than $1.7 million and has drawn thousands of attendees from the NYC metropolitan area and beyond.