FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 10th, 2008
CONTACT:
Jennifer Wiederkehr
Voice: (973) 467-1211
Email:
info@MattsPromise.org
LOCAL CHARITY TO HOST MEMORY RUN AT STONEPOINT PARK
Matt’s Promise to memorialize Old Tappan teen
OLD TAPPAN, NJ - March 10, 2008 - Matt’s Promise, a charity dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young people affected by terminal illnesses, will host
The Memory Run, a 5K run and 1.7 mile walk on Sunday, April 13, 2008, at Stonepoint Park. The rain or shine event is being held in memory of Mike LaViola, who passed away from synovial sarcoma this past February at the age of 20.
"While battling cancer for three years, Mike taught the people he knew what strength really meant," explained Morgan Procida, 17, who is a family friend of Mike’s and is co-chairing the Memory Run. “The phrase ‘never, ever, give up’ epitomizes the way that Mike lived his life. He had a positive impact on people and has been a true inspiration to me. Today his family and friends feel empowered to do something positive in Mike’s name.”
The idea for the run unfolded after Procida attended an event “that changed my life,” she said. Last May, Procida accompanied her father, William, to a gala hosted by Matt’s Promise where she learned about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative disease that affects 20,000 boys. “The prognosis is dim,” Procida said. “By the time a boy with this disease reaches adolescence, chances are good that he’ll be confined to a wheelchair. By the time he should be going off to college, he will likely die from respiratory or heart failure.”
Procida, a junior at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, was determined to do something to help. Combining what she learned at the event with her own struggles in having a friend with terminal cancer, Procida recognized that there are so many others losing their fight to terminal illnesses. Procida was moved to action. “Mike was a wonderful person and everyone who loved him felt so helpless,” Procida said. “We thought that holding the Matt’s Promise Memory Run in Mike’s honor would be a great way to celebrate his life and the thousands of others who have lost their battle to terminal illnesses. Unfortunately, he was taken from us before he could see the results of our efforts.”
Matt’s Promise has raised millions of dollars for research into the treatment, prevention and cure for various terminal illnesses that strike young people. Funds raised through the Memory Run will be donated in Mike’s honor to selected projects.
To register, visit the website at www.MattsPromise.org. The first 100 runners will receive a free visor. All runners and walkers are encouraged to obtain sponsorships.
For more information,
visit our Memory Run page or contact
info@MattsPromise.org.
