Community Corner
25th Annual BWI Airport Run and Family Walk
Sunday, Sept. 25 marks the 25th Anniversary of this charity event which raises money for the Down Syndrome Clinic.
Wayne Malone, founder of the Annual BWI Airport Run and Family Walk, is excited to be celebrating such an important anniversary.
More than 30 years ago, he and his wife had a son, Jaron, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
“At that time our pediatrician and the doctor who delivered basically walked away, saying there was nothing they could do for him. They said we might as well just keep him home; he would never amount to much,” recalled Malone, an Ellicott City resident.
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However, he and his wife were savvy enough to know that there were things they could do to improve Jaron's quality of life. They sought other help and found a counseling group for parents of children with Down Syndrome.
When the family moved to Howard County, they founded the Howard County Parent Support Group for Down Syndrome which works with the Kennedy Krieger Institute to help and educate the public about the condition.
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The Krieger Institute partnered with Northrop Grumman to host the annual event, and all proceeds go to the institute’s Down Syndrome Clinic.
“I wanted to put something on to make the public aware of the special needs out there. At the time I was running,” said Malone.
The event began small, about 200 people, but over time Malone added the walking portion as well as prizes. Now, between 1,200 and 1,400 people participate each year according to Malone.
“It’s about fundraising, but it’s also about raising awareness, and awareness of the Krieger institute. They help about 16,000 children throughout the year. It’s a great thing they do for children,” Malone said.
Down Syndrome is the single most common birth defect, according to the National Institutes of Health, and occurs when a person is born with an extra chromosome. For every 740 births, about one is born with the condition.
Malone stressed that two things can make a great difference for children with Down Syndrome: parents getting involved early and getting their children in school.
The fundraiser will be an emotional one for Malone and many of the participants.
“You see the kids with Down Syndrome and the kids from the middle schools supporting them,” said Malone.
Student participation is impressive -- 600-700 of the participants each year are kids from local middle schools. The two schools with the most paid participants will win 100 and 50 MARC round-trip train tickets for a field trip to Washington D.C.
There are other prizes for the kids, including mountain bikes and tickets to Kings Dominion as well as prizes for adults in several different categories.
This article was edited to indicate the number of children serviced by the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
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When: Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011. The Run & Walk begins promptly at 8:50AM.
Where: Midfield Cargo Complex, BWI Airport
Advance registration will open in early July and will close after 11:59 p.m. on 9/24/11.
Race number pickup and late registration
Saturday, Sept. 24 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Embassy Suites Hotel on Winterson Rd.
For hotel information call (410) 850-0747.
Race-day pickup and on-site registration will be available at the Midfield Cargo Complex, Cargo Building G warehouse complex, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
Fees: Children 13 and under: $15; Adults: $30
