The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) will sponsor the third annual “Spotlight on Lyme” Lyme disease awareness 5K run/walk on Sunday, May 23, at Pier Village in Long Branch.
The proceeds from this family-oriented event will be used to fund the research and education projects of the national Lyme Disease Association. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. with a 10 a.m. start time for the 5K.
The day will also feature games, face painting, prizes and food. The registration fee is $30 for adults and $20 for children. The walk is open to all ages, while the run is for ages 10 and above.
Trophies will be given to the top male and female finishers. Prizes will also be awarded to the highest fundraisers. Runners and walkers are encouraged to obtain pledges to benefit the LDA. Pledge forms, registration forms and online registration are available at www.lymediseaseassociation. org.
Kim Cronin, chairwoman of the event, is a Little Silver resident and advocate who came up with the Spotlight idea in 2007 after struggling with a misdiagnosis of the disease for nearly a decade.
“This debilitating disease often goes unrecognized,” said Cronin in a press release. “It can affect every system in the body and can be misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, ALS, lupus, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. To complicate matters, lab tests for Lyme disease are not reliable. You can test negative and still have the disease.”
Pat Smith, LDA president, cited a 5 percent increase in Lyme case numbers nationally, with New Jersey ranking No. 4 nationwide and Monmouth County ranked fifth in case numbers in New Jersey in 2008.
According to the press release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports children ages 5-14 are at the greatest risk of acquiring Lyme disease.
Organizers hope to not only raise money for the LDA, which provides grants to Lyme disease researchers, produces educational materials and organizes educational forums, but also to spread awareness locally on the warning signs of what is often called the “great imitator.”
For more information, email SpotlightOnLyme@ gmail.com.
The New Jersey-based Lyme Disease Association is an all-volunteer national nonprofit dedicated to Lyme disease education, prevention, raising monies for research and patient support.