11th annual Fiesta 5k Challenge Raising Funds Emory ALS Center

Cure for ALS will host its 11th annual Fiesta 5k Challenge on April 29th. The event will be held at Fowler Park, located at the corner of GA Hwy. 9 and Castleberry Rd. in Forsyth County. The course starts on the track, spills out onto the Big Creek Greenway, and then returns to the track for the finish line and fun post-race celebration. It is a flat, fast course that is perfect for serious runners or those attempting their first 5k race. It is also great for walkers, families, and is wheelchair friendly.

What began as a very grassroots effort by a local family has grown into a tradition to kick off ALS Awareness Month which takes place in May. Cure for ALS is a nonprofit organization created by Forsyth County residents, Karen, Mike, Brian, and Kevin Duffy. “Our first race in 2007 had 180 participants and raised $10,000. We became connected with the Emory ALS Center that first year and have raised $300,000 for Emory from this race and our annual golf tournament,” says Cure for ALS Director, Karen Duffy. “We now have teams of fundraisers and groups of runners who come out each year. We are proud of how this race has grown. It is a great blend of both the running community who gets a well-organized race and the ALS community who comes in strength to honor those living with, or who have lost their lives to the disease.”

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It is universally fatal, taking away the ability to move, speak, swallow, and ultimately breathe. It can strike anyone without warning and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is 2-5 years. Approximately 30,000 people in the U.S. are living with ALS; over 500 are in Georgia – 17 of those in North Fulton and Forsyth Counties.

The Emory ALS Center not only studies ALS in the lab but also treats patients, providing the best care in the Southeast. This combination enables clinician-researchers to gain a better understanding of the disease and gives patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and cutting-edge treatments. “I believe that combining expert clinical care with clinical and basic science research enhances all three, offering the best method of discovering how ALS works and how to stop it,” says Jonathan Glass, MD.

Entry fees for the Fiesta 5k Challenge are $25 for individuals before April 13 or $30 after April 13. 5k runners will receive a t-shirt with registration. There is a 1 Mile Fun Run that is free; $10 if Fun Run participants want a t-shirt. Awards will be presented in the 5k race to Overall Male/Female, Overall Masters Male/Female, and Top 3 in Age Groups of 5 year increments.

To register online visit www.runsignup.com/runloco4als . Onsite registration taking place at North GA Running Co. at 5456 Bethelview Rd. in Cumming. For more information about the Emory ALS Center visit www.als.emory.edu .