DUBLIN, OHIO Tressel continues OSU involvement with fund-raising for Madison Reed

Part of the ticket money from Saturday's spring game went to the charity.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- Coach Jim Tressel and the Ohio State football team have strengthened their bond with the Miracle for Madison Fund.
When she was 7 months old, Madison Rose Reed was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
But Madison, the daughter of 1978 Ursuline High graduate, the former Annette Worrellia, is 4 years old and has already lived two years past what is expected of Type 1 cases.
Hope is reigning strong for the family that resides in Dublin.
Good morning: "Madison is very high maintenance, but she wakes up with a smile on her face," said Carl Reed, Annette's husband and Madison's father.
SMA is a group of inherited diseases that destroy motor neurons controlling voluntary movements such as crawling, walking, head and neck control and swallowing.
Through Madison's fund, Annette and Carl have been working to raise money to fund research for the disease and an eventual cure.
Now, Tressel has become part of the crusade, which Ohio State football players and coaches have been involved with in the past.
"I talked to Coach about getting involved, not so much about bringing in a lot of money, but to keep that connection between the football program and what we're trying to accomplish every year," Carl said.
Tressel, along with his players and coaches, were guests at the third annual fund-raising event for Madison, held March 10 at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe.
In addition, money from the 20,000 tickets sold for Saturday's Scarlet and Gray Game at Crew Stadium benefited Madison's fund, which is approaching $300,000, Carl said.
By donating 50 cents from each ticket sold, the Ohio State athletic department hoped to provide $10,000.
Another cause: Ohio State is also contributing the same amount to a fund for Stefanie Spielman, wife of former Ohio State football player Chris Spielman.
Mrs. Spielman is battling breast cancer.
"Hopefully, someday these two diseases will be wiped out," Tressel said. "But until they are, they need our support."
XTo learn more about Madison and SMA, visit www.miracleformadison.org.