Over 200 walkers and runners, along with even more volunteers, supporters, and sponsors, from around the Bay Area attended the second annual Run for the Future on Sunday to show their support for brain cancer research.
The Run, organized to raise funds for the Future Brain Cancer Institute of Palo Alto, was “very successful” according to Dr. Meredith Warshaw, event organizer and co-founder, scientific director, and CEO of the institute.
“I can’t believe we have so many people that came out here today,” Warshaw said. “This is very special for me.”
The Run featured two certified, flat loop courses at the Palo Alto Baylands Athletic Center. The 10K run began promptly at 8:30 a.m., and the 5K walk/run began at 9 a.m.
Registration began at 7:30 a.m., and attendees meandered between sponsor tables while listening to the live musical entertainment provided by Backlight, Paly junior Ryan McDermott’s band, until the races started.
A number of Paly students were in attendance to run including senior Daniel Vinson, sophomore Lily Feng, freshman Gilbert Choi, and juniors Kenzie Lee, Martha Bass, Ellie Stevenson, Scott Himmelberger, Kathy Nolan, Leo Franchi, and Ariel Shaker, as well as several Paly alumnae.
Also, several Paly students were seen volunteering at the event including sophomore Matt Severson and junior Elizabet Warshaw-Vickery, co-founder of the Future Brain Cancer Institute.
The entry fee to partake in the Run was $25 per participant for pre-registration either online or via mail, and $30 on race day, with a $5 discount for participants younger than 18 years old.
Participants were given blue t-shirts with the symbolic green running brain in the center, and each of the over 35 sponsors also provided coupons, samples, refreshments, or raffle prizes for attendees.
Following the race, Palo Alto Mayor, Jim Burch, spoke to show support for the event, and Warshaw thanked volunteers and the Run for the Future committee for doing “such a superb job.”
Afterwards, awards were announced for the top three participants in each division for both of the races. Awards for both the male and female categories for several age groups, including the youth (14 and younger), teen (15-19), open (20-29), submaster (30-39), master (40-49), senior master (50-59), and senior (60 and above), were distributed. Special awards were presented to overall top male and female winners.
Last year, over 400 people attended the first annual Run on May 23, 2004 and over $17,000 was raised at the event to support the institute.
To succeed in this year’s goal of raising even more funds, Warshaw encouraged attendees “not only to enjoy this California sunshine, but to raise money for brain research.”
The Future Brain Cancer Institute, which was founded after Warshaw lost her husband, Dr. Brian H. Vickery, to brain cancer in 2002, has been working in conjunction with the UCSF medical center “to save patients in our near future,” Warshaw said. “We are working to find a cure.”
For more information about the institute or for race results, visit www.saveyourbrain.org.