Students and residents will pound the pavement Saturday during an event to benefit children with dietary disorders.
Organized by registered dietitian and UF alumna Lindsay Raub, the Children Overcoming Rare Disorders half marathon/5K will help fund UF’s pediatric Division of Genetics and Metabolism. Proceeds will go toward programs to help children and their families learn to live with their dietary needs.
The race begins at 7:30 a.m. on the UF Cultural Plaza parking lot. Anyone can register online at http://www.chordrace.kintera.org or before the race Saturday morning. The entry fee for the half marathon is $40 and $35 for the 5K.
“These kids require extensive dietary work and nutrition management,” Raub said. “Cooking demonstrations and nutrition education is the only treatment for these individuals because it’s teaching them lifelong habits.”
Raub said her colleague, who has been working in the department for more than 30 years, has been paying out of pocket.
“I know races from being a runner, and I thought this would be a great way to raise money,” she said.
Loren Whyte, a registered dietitian, said she is running the race in support of programs like cooking demonstrations.
“You get to run around Lake Alice, then up Fraternity Row, through the Swamp and down past Century Tower,” Raub said. “Then you get to go on 13th Street, where you’ll see the double helix bridge, then also pass Shands and our medical plaza, where we see our patients, and back to Lake Alice.”
Currently, 170 runners are registered, and more than half are in the half marathon, Raub said. She said she thinks they will raise between $8,000 and $9,000.
UF pediatric genetic counselor Laura C. Fairbrother said it should end at about 11 a.m.
“We will have an award ceremony where we will give awards for the fastest runners and the people who raised the most money,” Fairbrother said. “We plan on having some of our patients there for families to talk to, as well as tents and tables from some of our sponsors.”
Raub said she hopes to raise awareness not only for her division but also for the patients who have obstacles ahead of them.
“It’s just nice that we won’t have to scrap pennies to get what they need,” Raub said.
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 9/25/2013 under the headline "Weekend race to raise money for children with dietary needs"
