Each year I volunteer at a fundraiser put on by Payton's Race for a Cure. Since the first race 4 years ago, I have helped this non-profit develop a website, a social presence and I have also joined as a member of the board of directors, and I have loved every minute of it!
Our mission is to support advocacy, awareness and ultimately a cure for Mitochondrial Disease. We do this through a unique fundraising event that includes dirt bike/quad practices, raffles, concessions and family oriented activities such as kid’s games, bounce houses, face painting and much more!
You may or may not be familiar with a Mitochondrial Disease, in my experience when I mention it the first question I am asked is "What exactly is Mitochondrial Disease?". The simplest way for me to explain it is by using a battery as an example. A new, fully charge battery gives energy for cameras, radios and clocks - which in turn gives out pictures, music and time keeping. Good, healthy mitochondria are the power source for every cell in your body. Your brain, organs and muscles rely on the energy generated by the mitochondria in order to function. An old battery is not able to give out the needed amount of energy for these things to function properly. Well unhealthy or damaged mitochondria can cause children to have difficulty making their bodies work as needed. Some children cannot digest foods, move their legs or have the energy to even simply get out of bed in the morning. They may also have seizures and profound muscle weakness as well as fatigue, seizures, gastrointestinal dysfunction, developmental delay, vision/hearing loss, and unexplained organ failure. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been related to other diseases including autism, diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Today there is no cure for Mitochondrial Disease. Treatment is focused on energy conservation and vitamin therapy.
Tomorrow. July 21, 2012, the 4th annual Payton’s Race for a Cure event will take place. We are very pleased to announce that we were able to raise a combined $25,000.00 in years previous, donating all proceeds to the Mitochondrial Community through MitoAction and the UMDF (United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation)!
*MitoAction's mission is to improve quality of life for all who are affected by mitochondrial disorders through support, education and advocacy initiatives.
*UMDF's mission is to promote research and education for the diagnosis, treatment and cure of mitochondrial disorders and to provide support to affected individuals and families.
So if you are in the area, please join us! There are other ways to join us in our mission as well:
