On Saturday, July 7, 2018, the seventh annual Katie’s Run took place in the beautiful highlands of Haliburton, Ontario. The event offered a scenic 10 km run, 5 km run and 2.5 km run/walk all in support of epilepsy research.
For the second straight year, Katie’s Run generously donated all of the proceeds from the run to EpLink – The Epilepsy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute. Last year, funds were raised to support the genetics project led by EpLink researchers Drs. Berge Minassian and David R. Hampson at the University of Toronto. Their work aims to find a cure for Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy that is linked to variation in a gene that affects brain cell function. The proceeds from this year’s event will continue to support EpLink’s cutting-edge research programs.
The theme of this year’s run focused on SUDEP, or Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP occurs when an otherwise healthy person with epilepsy dies suddenly and unexpectedly, and no clear cause of death can be found. This year’s campaign featured stories from individuals and families affected by SUDEP.
Katie’s Run is held in honour of Katie Woudstra, who had a sudden onset of seizures at the age of 14. Her family and friends came together to organize an annual run to fund research and connect with other families going through similar experiences. Last year, over $37,000 was raised from donations, race income, sponsorships, and a silent and “loud” auction. For every dollar raised, an additional two dollars was donated through an Ontario government matching program, resulting in over $100,000 being invested into research to improve the lives of individuals living with epilepsy.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this beautiful outdoor run/walk through Ontario’s cottage country and for supporting epilepsy research! To learn more about Katie’s run, please visit www.katiesrun.ca.