CureDuchenne Raises More than $1M at Napa in Miami to Help Find a Cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Premier Wine Tasting and Auction Brought Acclaimed Napa Valley Vintners Together with Miami Philanthropists to Benefit Global Nonprofit CureDuchenne

MIAMI, FL, April 16, 2025 – CureDuchenne, a global nonprofit committed to finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Event Chair Susan Finazzo hosted the fourth annual “Napa in Miami” Wine Tasting and Auction on April 5, 2025 at Mandarin Oriental, Miami. The premier wine event brought a collection of Napa Valley vintners together under one roof to serve their finest vintages and offer their best wine experiences to Miami’s top business leaders, influencers, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and wine connoisseurs, raising more than $1 million to support CureDuchenne.

Guests enjoyed a Grand Tasting and an exquisite dinner featuring exclusive luxury wines made by the top producers of Napa Valley, one of the world’s most desirable wine-growing regions in the world. As guests entered the Grand Tasting, they had the opportunity to connect with children and young adults living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who proudly showcased their talents and passions—emphasizing that their disease does not define them. After the gourmet dinner, emcee and radio personality Shawn Parr hosted a lively live auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences and getaways to Napa Valley, New York, Monaco, and Lake Como. Event sponsors included Ace Endico, Universal Print Group, Clear Street, AVF Development Corp., Rita’s and EBG.

Miami resident Susan Finazzo shared her personal experience as the mother of two young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease. It is one of the most common and severe forms of muscular dystrophy and is mainly found in young boys. Most individuals diagnosed with Duchenne lose the ability to walk by 12, and many lose their lives in their late 20s. Since 2021, the Miami community has raised nearly $3.5 million to support CureDuchenne and its efforts to find and fund a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

In 2020, Miami residents Chris and Susan Finazzo discovered that both of their sons, Chase, now age 10, and Dylan, now age 7, were in the earliest stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. They were devastated, but knew they must start advocating for the boys to get the best care and to help find a cure. After searching for answers, they found CureDuchenne, a nonprofit organization started by Debra and Paul Miller, whose own son’s diagnosis inspired them to raise money to find a cure. Together, they manifested the idea of “Napa in Miami” to try and save their boys and the nearly 300,000 children and young adults living with the disease around the world. The Finazzo family has seen a glimmer of hope as both boys have participated in clinical trials for potential treatments, but their work is far from done as the disease still has no cure. Their older son Chase recently began using a wheelchair at age 10 as he has lost the ability to walk long distances.

“We were devastated the day we found out both our sons were diagnosed with Duchenne. As a parent, you can’t help but wonder if they’ll have enough time to fall in love, to get married or ever get the joy of being a parent themselves,” said Napa in Miami Chair Susan Finazzo. “Parents like us are racing against the clock to bring treatments to our children. CureDuchenne is on the forefront of the most promising research and with the help of fundraisers like Napa in Miami, we are that much closer to a cure.”

“We are deeply thankful to the Miami community for their continued generosity and commitment to our mission,” said Debra Miller, Founder and CEO of CureDuchenne. “Thanks to their support, we’re making real strides in research—but the urgency remains. Too many boys and young men still lack access to effective treatments. Every contribution moves us closer to a future where every family faced with a Duchenne diagnosis has real hope and real options.”

About CureDuchenne 
Over twenty years ago, CureDuchenne was created with one goal: to find and fund a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, one of the most common and severe forms of muscular dystrophy. Today, CureDuchenne is recognized as a global leader in research, patient care and innovation for improving and extending the lives of those with Duchenne. CureDuchenne’s innovative venture philanthropy model has advanced transformative treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, including 18 projects that advanced to human clinical trials and multiple projects to overcome the limitations of exon-skipping and gene therapy. In addition, CureDuchenne contributed early funding to the first FDA-approved Duchenne drug, pioneered the first and only Duchenne physical and occupational therapist certification program and created an innovative biobank and data registry, accelerating research toward a cure. For more information on how to help raise awareness and funds needed for research, please visit cureduchenne.org.

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