Moonball fundraiser races on against time

By holding onto family and friends, 16-year-old Dobbs Ferry resident Jacob Moon was able to make his way around the bases at the sixth edition of Moonball, the kickball tournament organized to support him and fund research into Sanfilippo syndrome, the rare terminal disease that impacts his ability to walk, talk, and eat. 

This year’s games, on Saturday, June 13, at Waterfront Park, included 140 players in grades 3–8, spread across 13 kickball teams. The event raised roughly $16,000.

Sanfilippo, which impacts one in 70,000 children, is caused by a single genetic defect that hinders the ability to break down a natural cellular waste that then clogs the brain and other parts of the body. Children with the condition typically begin the first few years of life on an average developmental trajectory before gradually losing certain motor skills and experiencing hyperactivity and seizures. Those, like Jacob, who are diagnosed with Sanfilippo Type A, which is the most severe strain, are not expected to live past their teens.