“All I can say is, ‘WOW!’”

This was the reaction of Dr. Timothy Miller, head of the WashU ALS Center, when he stepped on stage before the 400+ people who gathered at the Moolah Shrine on Sept. 12 for the third ever Mitchell and Friends Trivia Night. As Dr. Miller observed, this was no small fundraiser but an energetic meeting of friends and supporters who had assembled to remember the legacy of Mitchell Herndon—and to raise money for research into treatments for Mitchell Syndrome, the disease that bears his name.

Dr. Miller went on to effusively thank attendees for their support.

The attendees went on to have a fabulous night.

The packed ballroom included 51 teams at round tables, and was ringed by long tables adorned with 75 donations which had ben generously given as raffle and auction items. Volunteers adorned in Mitchell and Friends t-shirts meandered through the crowd, selling raffle tickets and directing people to bathrooms.

In between eight rounds of trivia, supporters munched on their favorite foods or lined up at the bar for a drink, or they dropped raffle tickets into boxes for a chance to win a 55” television, signed Blues hockey puck, hand-made quilt, or one of many creatively assembled gift baskets.

The theme for this year’s trivia night was “Friendship.” As Matt and Michele Herndon, the President and Vice-President of The Mitchell and Friends Foundation, explained in their opening comments, “During his shortened life, our son, Mitchell, made a lot of friends from a lot of circles—school, church, and the hospital. Since his passing, we’ve made a lot of friends, as well—friends who have been on the same journey we were on for so long.”

“We thought we’d get these friends together, have some fun, and raise money for a good cause.”

And boy was their fun! Tables and teams dressed up in matching outfits and laughed their way through friendship-related trivia categories. Videos of old and new friends reading trivia questions kept the crowd entertained. Matt and Michele led the room in a round of karaoke musical trivia, and trivia and raffle winners got to celebrate with their friends.

Among those friends were several Mitchell Syndrome families who had flown in for the Science and Family Conference at WashU on the previous day, and stuck around for the fun. Yana from Russia, Auggie from Puerto Rico, Cole from Philly, and Cruz from Los Angeles—along with their family and friends—looked to be having a tremendous night at the Special Guest Tables toward the front of the stage.

Halfway through the night, the group paused to reflect on the importance of the mission and what the status of progress into research is.

The room quieted respectfully as Michele gave a medical update and Matt remembered the young man whose courage, humor, and sacrifice was still inspiring so many folks. Supporters were given an opportunity to donate and received a homemade Mitchell and Friends friendship bracelet as a thank-you.

All told, $65,000 was raised.

More importantly, Mitchell Syndrome families and children went home feeling the hope of friendship; WashU researchers left motivated by the cause; and Mitchell’s family, friends, teachers, and medical caregivers went home remembering his lasting and inspiring legacy. At the end of the night, volunteers and attendees filed out of the building wearing Mitchell Syndrome t-shirts, carrying supplies, and wearing wide smiles.

Dr. Miller seemed to have it right.

After such a wonderful evening of love, hope, remembrance, and generosity, all you can say is, “Wow!”

-The Mitchell and Friends Foundation, 10/6/2026