Marco’s Gift to Wynne

Nine years ago, Jimmy Boylan was trying to find a way to raise money for a local family in need. At the time, he was managing the Sand Bar, a popular eatery and sports bar on Marco Island. They came up with the idea to combine a bicycle ride with a poker run, which involved stops at many of the island’s popular watering holes. Poker hands were created from cards drawn at five different locations and entered on an official entry form. The entry with the highest poker hand would win a cash prize.

To hear Jimmy tell it, he wasn’t sure if the event would fly or not. In the end, he wasn’t disappointed. Marco residents quickly warmed up to the idea, and the Bicycle Poker Run became a popular annual event. Last Saturday, the community came out in force, with over 350 people participating to benefit a worthy cause.

This year the cause once again hit close to home. Two years ago, Marco residents Ray and Marie Lynn McChesney’s four-year-old granddaughter was diagnosed with Kleefstra syndrome. Kleefstra is a very rare genetic disorder, which has been identified in a limited number of patients worldwide.

Wynne was diagnosed at age two after undergoing extensive testing, according to her father Matt. He explained that the disease was only identified about a dozen years ago. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no known cure. Characteristics of the syndrome may involve numerous parts of the body and may present themselves in developmental delay and a severely limited or absent speech, amongst many other ailments.

Wynne Lockwood travelled to Marco Island to be at the Bicycle Poker Run that was held in her honor. She was accompanied by her parents Matt and Maria Lockwood, and seven-year-old sister Josie. The family made their journey to the island from their home in Beverly Hills, Michigan.

Wynne, a vibrant and beautiful little girl, presented herself to the crowd, who were there to support the fundraising effort for more research and better treatment options for Kleefstra syndrome.

Residents quickly embraced Wynne as one of their own at the morning’s registration event at The Marco Island Brewery and at the afternoon’s final stop and party at The Speakeasy.

“It truly was an emotional experience for our family to see the outpouring of support for this ongoing battle so many are engaged in. We can only hope with this type of support that someday our prayers are answered through the continuation of the research being done, not only for Wynne, but for so many others,” said Matt Longwood, Wynne’s dad.