La Salle community runs to fight diseases

By Olivia Biagi
Collegian Editor
September 11, 2008

As the affects of Hurricane Hanna loomed over the city of Philadelphia at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, Associate Dean of Students Lane Neubauer prepared for one of the biggest challenges she faced in her adult life: a 12 mile run in the Valley Green section of Fairmount Park. Dark skies ominously threatened of a downpour and strong winds that would eventually come. Yet there she was, preparing for a run despite that not so long ago a physician advised her to never run again. After months of running four to five days a week, gradually increasing her distance every time, Neubauer was about to attempt the longest distance yet in preparation for the Philadelphia Distance Run, a 13.1 mile half-marathon set for Sunday Sept. 21.

Despite the daunting task ahead, giving up is simply not an option for Neubauer.

“[I have a] tremendous responsibility,” she said.

Neubauer is participating in her first half-marathon in honor of the late La Salle student Joseph Miles III, who lost his battle with cancer in March of 2007. Neubauer will be wearing Miles’ name on her jersey during the half-marathon.

Neubauer isn’t alone in her efforts to raise funds and awareness for one of the many devastating diseases that plague the world today. In fact, various other Lasallians have been participating in similar endurance events for other causes, including Alpha Sigma Tau President and Senior Marketing major Lauren Craig and La Salle alumnus Kevin Forik. These three individuals have dedicated time and energy to participate in three different endurance events for three different causes and for three different reasons.

Sisters for a Cause

According to the American Cancer Society, leukemia is the most common cancer among children and adolescents and accounts for 33 percent of childhood cancer. However, childhood leukemia is, overall, a rarity. It was one such rare case that inspired Craig to get involved. The young daughter of a family friend, now four-years-old Madison Ferris, was diagnosed with leukemia. Craig wanted to help the Ferris family, who was struggling with medical bills, and decided to participate in 2007’s Philadelphia Parkway Run, an annual event that raises money for the Cancer Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Craig rallied her sorority sisters to help by entering in Parkway Run. The girls set up tables outside of the Union Building asking for any donations Lasallians could give.

“It was the best fundraising I’ve seen us have,” Craig said.

AST raised $1,100 from donations. $300 of those funds were given directly to the Ferris family, and the rest was given to the Parkway Run. On the day of the event, sisters of AST walked in the name of Madison Ferris. There was nearly 100 percent participation from the sisters, despite it not being one of the philanthropies that AST is committed to.

“This wasn’t mandatory, [it was] something very last minute,” Craig said. “In all the years I’ve been in a sorority, I never saw everyone come together the way we did.”

Because of AST’s commitment, the organization sponsoring the Philadelphia Parkway Run made AST and Ferris the face of the 2008 event, using a picture of the sisters and Ferris from last year’s event.

“The organization used [the picture] as the main picture for the fliers [advertising the event] … It’s a nice accomplishment,” Craig said, adding that the fliers appeared all over the city.

The 2008 Parkway Run will take place Sept. 28, and the sisters of AST will once again be walking under Ferris’ name. To raise money this year AST will have tables set up outside the Union Building until Sept. 19 and will be accepting cash and Gold Card for any amount Lasallians are willing to spare.

Craig is hoping AST will be able to do even more for Ferris by opening a college fund through the dues of the sorority.

Craig is very proud of her sisters.

“Last semester I had 60 girls all do something to help a family,” she said. “It really says a lot about people.”

Training Woes

While the sisters of AST will not train to walk up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum, Neubauer neeeded nearly a year to train for the 13.1 mile half-marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and it has not been easy.

Neubauer began training in October 2007, running three to four times a week, each time gradually increasing her mileage. In December, following a five and a half mile run on Kelly Drive, Neubauer began feeling sore in her back. She spent 20 hours in the car over the course of the next two days and by the time she returned home, she could hardly move. Neubauer had two pinched nerves in her lower back.

Neubauer’s initial physician told her to stop running. Neubauer responded that giving up this race was simply not an option. She then consulted another doctor who encouraged her to keep going. Neubauer began training again in late February.

Forik, however, has been training for the annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s City to Shore Bike Race without as much trouble.

It’s Like Riding a Bicycle

When asked if there was any training involved for Forik’s upcoming bike race, he laughed. After all, a 75 mile bike race is no easy feat in and of itself. And to do it without any training? Forget it.

“Usually, if I’m not on a bike in the gym, I’ll ride from my house [in Manayunk] to the Art Museum and back a couple times,” Forik said. “I actually started [training] pretty early this year … back in June.”

The upcoming Sept. 27 bike race will be Forik’s fourth race for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“It was my girlfriend’s aunt that has multiple sclerosis,” Forik, who graduated from La Salle in December 2006, said. “Her entire family and her church has the team St. Albert the Great Gators.”

It is with this team that Forik has ridden since 2005 in support of raising money for research for multiple sclerosis. According to the National MS Society, MS is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. Currently in the United States, there are an estimated 200 cases of MS diagnosed weekly. There is currently no cure for MS.

In order to participate in the foundation’s bike event, individuals must raise a minimum of $250 before the day of the race.

“We [the team] keep raising money … at least a month or so after the race itself,” Forik said.

While Forik mainly relies on private donations to make his fundraising quota, St. Albert the Great Gators does various fundraising events before the race. Some events include a guest bartending night and poker nights, with all monies raised going to support Forik’s team.

The City to Shore ride begins in Cherry Hill, N.J. According to Forik, participants will ride 22 miles before the first rest stop, which offers food and drinks to the riders, and even massages and an opportunity to fix up the bikes.

“They really take care of you,” Forik said, adding that there are rest stops approximately every 10 to 15 miles following the first one.

The bike route, according to Forik, winds through Somers Point and over the Longport Bridge into Ocean City, N.J. The last two miles are the roughest, Forik said, “Having to go over two bridges, against the wind and you’re already tired after going seven and a half to eight hours.”

Going the Distance

Everyone has a reason behind participating in charity races. For Craig it is about coming together to help a family in need. For Forik it’s supporting someone close to him who has been affected by MS. For Neubauer it’s honoring the memory of a fellow Lasallian.

“I knew Joe because he was a student leader,” Neubauer said. “I always found him to be very warm, personable and friendly.

“It was a tremendous loss to the world. I think he would have just made an impact in whatever he would have done with his life.”

Neubauer has been training with an organization called Team in Training, and organization that offers fitness training for people participating in endurance events to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It also assists in the fundraising, as the society receives no federal funding and relies on donations and pledges from endurance events.

Neubauer was required to raise a minimum of $2,500, and as of press time, Neubauer has raised $3,450.

“People have really wanted to be supportive because Joe’s touched so many lives and people here felt his loss,” Neubauer said, adding that administrators in the Division of Student Affairs and members of the communication department, business affairs and human resources have all been especially supportive.

It has been a long and inspirational journey for the past 11 months to prepare for this event.

“Along the way I’ve just been told about so many people battling the disease,” Neubauer said.

In addition to running with Miles’ name on her jersey, Neubauer will also wear ribbons on race day with the names of people whose memories have been honored by donations to Neubauer.

“[At] so many points along the way it was tempting to give up,” Neubauer said. “[But] I think about the people who are fighting cancer and how they feel like they want to give up.

“I feel a responsibility to be successful, and successful to me means crossing the finish line.”

If you would like to make a donation to Kevin Forik, you can do so at www.nationalmssociety.org. Click Donate, then Pledge and Search for Participant. To donate to Lane Neubauer, visit www.teamintraining.org and click Search Participants.

AST will be accepting donations outside the Union Building until Sept. 19.

biagio1@lasalle.edu