BUTLER — Glowhouse Kids, the unique and exciting party place for kids as well as adults, is donating a portion of all birthday parties during August to Ty's Eyes, a fund named for Ty Rockey of West Milford, a seven-year-old who suffers from a genetic retinal disorder called Leber Congenital Amaurosis.
Ty's Eyes is Glowhouse Kids' cause of the month. In addition to making a donation for all birthday parties during the month, Glowhouse Kids will also offer 50 percent off a first-month Mommy and Me or the three-year-olds drop off membership to anyone who makes a donation to the cause at their facility.
Save the date for a benefit concert for Ty's Eyes on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Pinecliff Lake Clubhouse. "Rock for Retinal Research III" will bring together those in the community who love music and want to give support for research to find a cure to LCA. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for children under 12. The concert runs from 2 to 10 p.m.
According to his mom Kelly Rockey, Ty was diagnosed with Leber Congenital Amaurosis when he was two months old. It has left him blind with only light perception. At the time of his diagnosis, Rockey was told there was no treatment and nothing could be done. Just a few years later, a cure is on the horizon. Her family created Ty's Eyes to raise awareness and funds for research. All of the money raised through Ty's Eyes is donated to Dr. Samuel Jacobson and his team of researchers at Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia, who are working on gene therapy to restore vision in patient's with Lebers Congenital Amaurosis.
"This is a very exciting time for us," said Rockey, "something we have been working toward for the past seven years. We are excited to be able to say that it is a real possibility that Ty's vision could be restored in the very near future."
Can't make the concert? Donations can be sent to Ty's Eyes, PO Box 290, West Milford, NJ 07480. For more information go to www.tyseyes.com.