The River & The Rock Award

MDFF offers an annual award of $2,500 to be used in pursuit of a dream or goal, by an individual in Indiana who displays resilience, courage and/or perseverance. This award is funded by the Nicholoff family in honor of their son Phillip James “PJ” Nicholoff. Read more about the life-saving legacy of PJ.

Read below for more information about the guidelines and eligibility requirements.  Please contact us for additional questions.

The application will open on August 1, 2026.

Award Criteria:

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy or neuromuscular disease (see applicable diseases on the MDA website)

  • Reside in the state of Indiana

  • Enroll with MDFF

  • Have shown resilience, courage and/or perseverance in your life

  • Submit the form during the application window and provide our Board of Directors with an intended purpose for the award, in pursuit of a dream or goal

Award Timeline:

Aug 1-Oct 15: Applications Open
Nov 15: Winners Announced
Dec 15: Winners Awarded

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Is the person with MD a resident of Indiana?*
If you are not a resident of Indiana, please do not complete this form. Our organization is currently only able to serve residents of Indiana.
Is the person with MD enrolled with MDFF?*
Please be sure to Enroll with MDFF to receive services. Visit www.mdff.org to enroll.
Name of Enrollee applying for award*
Enrollee's Date of Birth*
Primary Contact*
Primary contact will be the person who receives all communications regarding this application and other information as needed. This can be the Enrollee or someone else if enrollee is a minor or unable to receive communications.
Address - enrollee*
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This is an essay question. Please type your narrative answer into a Word document first so that you have it saved, then copy and paste it into the below box when you are ready to submit it. (1000 word max)