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Health & Fitness

Lace Up for Our Children

Surgery to repair a hole in a little girl’s heart. A teenager bouncing back from bone cancer. Fighting obesity at the age of 14. An Olympic hopeful sidelined by excruciating headaches. The stories are very real and, too often, hit close to home. But these stories also inspire us with hope and healing.

To help bring more awareness to children’s health needs and its breadth of services, this fall Children’s National Medical Center – recognized again this year by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s leading pediatric institutions – will kick off its inaugural Race for Every Child. We invite everyone in the DC-MD-VA community to lace up and get your cardio on to benefit Children’s National. The nonprofit hospital serves more than 270,000 children a year and provides more than $41.3 million in uncompensated care every year.

While school is out for summer, this season is an opportune time to start warming up for the 5K (3.1 miles) race/walk to be held at Freedom Plaza, “America’s Main Street,” on October 5, from 8:30 am to 1 pm. The event festivities will include appearances by celebrities and policy influencers with family-friendly activities, special displays that will highlight what the hospital does best – heal and care for every child that walks through its doors – complimentary snacks and much more! There will also be a Kids’ Dash for those 10 years of age and under. Prizes will be awarded.

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For those who cannot participate in person, sign up to participate “virtually.” Race for Every Child will help fund specialized medical care, research into childhood diseases, and important wellness and preventive services to keep all children healthy.  

For more information, go to RaceForEveryChild.org and register as an individual, or form a team, or support someone who is and/or spread the word through your blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other networks. 

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As the event tagline says, “The finish line is just the beginning.” See you then at the starting gate!

Sharon Kessler is the director of Race for Every Child. This is the first in a series of weekly blogposts focused on Children’s National Medical Center’s work in the DC-MD-VA community as it gears up for its inaugural Race for Every Child event to be held annually to celebrate children’s health.

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