Put Your Heart Into Something Special This Valentine's Day; Sign Up for Feb. 12 Charity Run
Submitted by: Francie Fitzpatrick Communications
2012-01-24 00:07:32
Treat your sweetheart to something special this Valentine's Day- sign up for the 8th annual Valentine Fanconi Anemia Run/Walk on Feb. 12 in Portland. Both serious runners and families will enjoy this event, which offers 5k, 8k and 12k routes.
Portland, OR (OPENPRESS) January 25, 2012 -- All proceeds go to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, a nonprofit organization working to find a cure for Fanconi Anemia, a genetic and life-threatening disease that leads to bone marrow failure and cancers in children and young adults.
"Sign up today and do something good for yourself and a great organization," says event organizer Peggy Padden, whose oldest son passed away from the disease in 2003 and whose youngest son is also affected. "Walkers and runners of all skill levels are welcome and we'll be giving prizes to top finishers and those with the best costume."
Runners and walkers, who all receive a long-sleeve T-shirt, take off under the Morrison Bridge and run along the Willamette River. All end back at the bridge for coffee, hot chocolate and homemade cinnamon rolls. Attendees can join the bone marrow registry, with a simple cheek swab test, free of charge after the race.
Cost is $30 per adult, $15 per child for individuals who register online at www.valentinerunportland.com before Feb. 10. Groups of four adults who register together before that date get a discounted rate of $27 each. Participants can also register before the race for $35 per adult, $20 per child. Prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers, the top finisher in each age group and people with the best costumes.
Fanconi Anemia is one of the inherited anemias that lead to bone marrow failure. It is a recessive disorder: if both parents carry a defect in the same FA gene, each of their children has a 25 percent chance of inheriting the defective gene from both parents. When this happens, the child will have FA. The average life expectancy for a patient with FA is 24.7 years, although there are now patients living into their 30s, 40s and 50s thanks to continued research. Visit www.fanconi.org to learn more about the disease and the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund.
