More than 70 Pinehurst Elementary Staff and Family Members to Run Buffalo Marathon for Late Student
Runners will raise funds for Roswell Park through Team Cure Challenge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BUFFALO, NY More than 70 staff, family members and other supporters from Pinehurst Elementary School in Lakeview, NY, will participate in the Buffalo Marathon on behalf of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and in memory of a former student who lost her battle with cancer.
As part of the Team Cure Challenge program, runners will take part in the May 24 marathon, half-marathon or relay run in honor of Janie Kashino (pictured at right), who lost her battle with neuroblastoma in July 2008 at age six. The group has dubbed their team “Team Fly High Janie.”
As they train and prepare for the marathon, they will also collect pledges to support critical cancer research and patient care programs at Roswell Park. The group has set a fundraising goal of $26,200—one thousand dollars per mile of a full marathon.
Because students at the school are too young to take part in the marathon, they will host their own “move-a-thon,” a fundraising walk, to raise pledges towards the team’s fundraising goal. Approximately 200 students from the school are expected to take part in the June 6 event at Chestnut Ridge Park.
“Some of our volunteers are active runners, others have never run before, but we are all dedicated to this worthwhile cause,” said Rachel Sobczyk, an organizing member of Team Fly High Janie. “Although Janie was with us for just a short time, this is our way of honoring the impact she had on her community.”
Visit www.teamcurechallenge.com to support Team Fly High Janie or other runners, or to learn more about the program. Recently, supporters of Team Cure Challenge raised more than $70,000 at the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando.
Registration is now underway for other local and national Team Cure Challenge walks, runs, swims and cycling events also benefiting Roswell Park, including the Lake Tahoe Marathon on September 25-27. The Lake Tahoe Marathon features a number of options for runners, cyclists, swimmers and even kayakers, each route featuring a tour of Nevada’s breathtaking landscapes. Register today.
Team Cure Challenge provides training and support to athletes who raise funds in support of cancer research and patient care at Roswell Park. Athletes take part in a number of events throughout the year and across the country. Learn more about Team Cure Challenge events by visiting www.teamcurechallenge.com or calling 716-845-3179.
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Annie Deck-Miller, Senior Media Relations Manager
716-845-8593; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org