On August 2, Scott Ballard presented a $1,200 check to the United Mitochondrial Foundation. Accepting the check was Chris Swinn, president of the Atlanta Chapter of UMDF. The money was raised from the proceeds of the circuit’s annual charity golf tournament, held this year on June 8 at The Pines Golf Club in Williamson. UMDF was chosen as this year’s charity because one of the Assistant District Attorneys in the Fayette County office, Warren Sellers, has a son, Joshua, with the disease.

Mitochondrial Disease- the body’s inability to turn food into the energy to support life- can affect every cell in the human body. More than one in 4,000 children born in the United States each year will develop a mitochondrial disease by 10 years of age. Because mitochondrial diseases are currently under-recognized, the actual number may be more like one in 2,000. Unfortunately, some of these afflicted children may not survive beyond their teenage years.
 
Pictured standing in front of the Fayette County Courthouse is Jonah Sellers, Mary Swinn, Lydia Sellers, Rachel Swinn, Warren Sellers holding Joshua Sellers, Cindy Sellers, Emily Swinn, Chris Swinn and Scott Ballard.