Musician to perform at UF to raise money for research into rare disease

Renowned musician Livingston Taylor will take the University of Florida University Auditorium stage Nov. 4 to help raise money for the College of Medicine' s glycogen storage research program.

Taylor is the brother of music legend James Taylor of "Fire and Rain" fame and is perhaps most well-known for his 1970s hit, "I Will Be in Love With You." Taylor's duet with Carly Simon, called "Best of Friends," also was on the charts earlier this year.

All proceeds from the event, dubbed Concert for a Cure, will benefit the Matthew Ehrman Fund for Glycogen Storage Disease Research. The Concert for a Cure will begin at 8 p.m. in the auditorium, located next to Century Tower on the corner of Union and Newell drives.

Each year, about one in 100,000 children is born with glycogen storage disease, a rare condition that keeps the body from being able to release glucose, the body's fuel, between meals. Without proper treatment, the disease can cause brain damage, seizures and even death.

UF boasts the largest program studying glycogen storage diseases of the liver in the world, but because the disease is rare, obtaining funding to find a cure can be tricky, said David Weinstein, M.D., a UF associate professor of pediatric endocrinology and director of the glycogen storage disease program. That makes fundraising and events like the Concert for a Cure that much more important, he said. The funds raised from the concert will support research into gene therapy and new treatments for children with the disease.

Tickets are free for children under 5, $10 for children over 5 and $10 for students. General admission is $25 for adults and orchestra section seating is $50. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 352 - 392 - ARTS (2787). Anyone interested in attending an invitation-only reception with Taylor prior to the concert can call Meredith Beard at 352 - 265 - 0855.