Annette Funicello Research Fund For Neurological Diseases

OUR MISSION

The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases is dedicated to funding research into the cause, treatment, and cure of Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

OUR HISTORY

Annette first noticed her MS symptoms in 1987 when she was making the movie “Back to the Beach”, a friendly spoof of her early sand-and-surf films that received both public and critical acclaim.  Despite recurring symptoms, in 1989, Annette teamed up with long-time friend and Beach Party co-star, Frankie Avalon, for a successful year-long concert tour that re-lived the music and fun of the 1960’s.  By 1992, rumors and gossip began to surface in the press after Annette’s MS symptoms became increasingly pronounced.  It was then she decided to go public with her condition.

As she recalls in her book, “When stories about my MS came out, everyone gave me their love and prayers.  I’m human, and sometimes I can’t help but ask, ‘Why me?’ But I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know now that my mission is to help others raise funds for MS.”  True to her word, in 1993 she established the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases with a dream of finding a cure.

OUR ORGANIZATION

The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases is a non-profit foundation with a specific interest in supporting clinical studies that seek to expose the underlying cause of Multiple Sclerosis and therapies that show promise of reversing the symptoms of this and other neurological diseases.  Unlike most non-profits, we have no paid staff, which allows our organization to operate at little cost, and per Annette’s wishes, ensure nearly all donated funds are used for research purposes only.

Please visit AnnetteConnection.com for more information.

To make a secure, tax-deductible donation online, click on the button below. You may also send checks payable to the California Community Foundation, noting that the donation is for the Annette Funicello Research Fund For Neurological Diseases. Checks should be mailed to:

California Community Foundation
717 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

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Contributions to the California Community Foundation represent irrevocable gifts subject to the legal and fiduciary control of the foundation’s board of directors. This charge will appear on your credit card statement as a payment to “Calif Comm Fdn – CCF”. In addition, California Community Foundation incurs a third-party administrative fee of 2.7 percent for credit card contributions. The foundation will charge the fee directly to the individual fund.