On a Sunday in early October, golfers rolled into Cherokee Hills Golf Course in Catoosa, Oklahoma with one shared goal: drive for a cure to Angelman syndrome.
The Remi Cup is an annual charity golf tournament and auction that brings together a loyal circle of supporters who care deeply about one little girl and the future of everyone living with Angelman syndrome. Each year, the event brings in around $35,000 in support of Angelman syndrome research, turning a day on the course into real momentum for life-changing science.
The heart behind the tournament: Remi’s story
Remi started life as a joyful, easy baby who rarely cried. When she began missing milestones, her parents, Derek and Chrysti, went searching for answers. Eventually, Remi was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome.
Since then, she has worked incredibly hard to do things many people take for granted. She has learned to walk, run, ride a tricycle, and communicate with sign language and an AAC device, and has even spoken a few words. Every swing of the club at the Remi Cup is rooted in her family’s hope that one day they will hear her say, “Daddy” and “I love you” on her own.
That hope is what drives the Remi Cup.
How the Remi Cup turns love into progress for Angelman syndrome
All fundraising efforts from the Remi Cup go directly to support research through Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST). As the largest non-governmental funder of Angelman syndrome research in the world, FAST is focused on moving therapies from early discovery all the way through the preclinical and translational stages so potential treatments can reach clinical trials, and eventually patients.
The love that Derek and Chrysti have for their daughter is what fuels that progress. Behind the golf carts and swag bags is a family that refuses to sit on the sidelines. For them, the Remi Cup is about much more than golf. It is their way of pushing back against uncertainty and turning worry into action.
The event gives their friends, colleagues, and neighbors a concrete way to help. It offers sponsors a visible way to stand with families living with Angelman syndrome. And it gives Remi’s siblings and extended family a day that is full of pride, not just medical language and appointments.
Over time, the Remi Cup has also built a true community of regulars who ask about Remi, follow FAST’s progress, and mark the tournament on their calendars each year. That staying power is one of the most powerful outcomes of all, because it keeps love and support flowing into research year after year.
Thinking about your own fundraiser?
If you are a parent, relative, or friend of a loved one who lives with Angelman syndrome, the Remi Cup is a reminder that you do not need a national platform to make a difference. You need:
A personal “why”
A format your community will show up for
A willingness to ask for help and let people stand with you
The Remi Cup started with one family, one idea, and one little girl. Today, it is a growing tradition that brings people together year after year and fuels research with every swing. If this story sparks an idea for your own idea, FAST can help with guidance, tools, and examples from families around the world who are doing the same thing in their own way. Better days are coming for people living with Angelman syndrome. For Derek, Chrysti, and Remi, those better days begin with a tee time and a community that believes in a cure.