Fifteen years ago, Jeremy and Sylvia Farber turned their family’s journey with Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) into a mission to give back. In 2010, they launched their first Bowling for SMS fundraiser—a fun, family-friendly event that brought together friends, neighbors, and supporters to raise funds and awareness for PRISMS.
For ten years, the sound of crashing pins and laughter filled the lanes. Then, in year eleven, the Farbers decided to mix things up, moving the event to Chicken N Pickle in San Antonio, TX, where pickleball quickly became the new tradition. No matter the venue, the purpose remained the same: to support PRISMS, which is dedicated to education, awareness, research, and family support for the SMS community.
“PRISMS was a lifeline for us as parents when our daughter Austin was diagnosed with SMS at 5 years old,” said Jeremy. “Receiving the diagnosis was both a blessing and a heartbreak. We finally had an answer, but we also had so many questions. PRISMS gave us those answers—and connected us to families who truly understood what we were going through. Because of the love and support we received, we felt called to help others. This fundraiser became our way to give back.”
Sylvia added, “Since most of the medical community is unfamiliar with SMS, families often face long, frustrating paths to diagnosis. We want to do everything we can to raise awareness so others can find answers faster and access PRISMS’ incredible resources and community sooner.”
Over the years, the Farbers’ event has grown not only in size but also in impact. Together with their dedicated supporters, they have raised over $310,000 for PRISMS and welcomed nearly 2,800 participants.
This year marked a special milestone—the 15th anniversary of the event—and it was the biggest one yet. With about 150 participants, the community rallied together to raise a record-breaking $31,400 to help PRISMS.
What started as one family’s way to say “thank you” has become a lasting legacy of hope, awareness, and support for families living with SMS everywhere.
This year, the Pickleball for PRISMS event was promoted on local news station KENS 5 in San Antonio.
PRISMS relies on the generous energy and enthusiasm of our community fundraisers to ensure this organization may continue to grow and serve the SMS community through programs of education, awareness, and research. Your fundraising efforts help PRISMS to improve our programs, keep conference costs more affordable for families, support innovative SMS research, and more! Are you interested in running a fundraiser to support PRISMS and the SMS community? Click here to let us help you host a successful event!