It all began on Christmas Eve in 1998, when our beloved brother Christian Banke (then 27 years old) was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome (a connective tissue disorder) while undergoing a radical life-saving operation at the University of Chicago Hospitals. The surgery was a success, and Christian survived, but not without months of rehabilitation, and a life-long future of medical treatments and surgeries in front of him.

Then, in 2002, while undergoing cardiovascular surgery to slow the progress of this connective tissue disorder, Christian died from surgical complications. As our family came to grips with his passing, we began to research our family history, and we discovered that Christian was actually the second person in our family to die from a connective tissue disorder. The first was Christian's father, Don Banke, who died suddenly in 1971, at the age of 29. Unfortunately for Christian, Don's diagnosis was missed by his doctors, a situation that is all too common with connective tissue disorders.

Through research, the family became aware that connective tissue disorders could be passed on through generations of family members, and that more of our relatives were in fact afflicted with the disorder. More amazingly, we became aware that most people, including doctors, nurses and medical researchers, had not heard of Marfan syndrome, or the other connective tissue disorders that affect so many people worldwide. It is estimated that 1 in 5,000 men and women across all geographical locations, and racial groups, are affected by a connective tissue disorder; and sadly, 50% of those affected, may not be diagnosed.

In response to these findings, many of Christian's nine surviving siblings, and numerous other family members and friends, decided to make awareness of connective tissue disorders their lifelong philanthropic pursuit. Many approaches to spreading the word were proposed, but one idea, above them all, seemed to be the most effective way to get peoples' attention. They decided to have a party! On that day in 2005, "Drink for a Cure" was born.

As with all great ideas, the goal of this one was simple, the organizers would raise awareness of connective tissue disorders while having a great time! It was decided they would host this party for all their friends and families once a year to celebrate the life of Christian Banke; and these events, as well as the money raised by these fundraisers, would be used to educate people about detecting the signs of connective tissue disorders.

After much research, the "Drink for a Cure" organizers became aware that the National Marfan Foundation was the recognized leader in research and educational programs for connective tissue disorders. As such, the National Marfan Foundation has become the primary benefactor of the "Drink for a Cure" events. The National Marfan Foundation has been instrumental in advancing research in the causes and treatments of Marfan Syndrome and related disorders. They are the leading authority on aortic dissections (a major cause of death with these disorders), and they continue to be the main force behind worldwide education programs. We are proud to support their efforts, and our family has already benefited greatly from their efforts.

If you, your family, or friends, are affected by a connective tissue disorder like Marfan syndrome, or if you just want too to help raise awareness, and money, to assist in our common fight to find a cure, this website is for you. There are numerous tools available to help you participate in an event, or to host one of your own. Please see the Overview page, located in the "Host and Event" section of this website for details.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your interest in this important and worthy cause!