Thanks from Preston

2009 was a great success for Preston's March and we celebrate with support from the Shamrock Community!  With support from the registrants, individual runners, teams, friends and family we were able to raise over $45,000.  With that amount we have raised over $120,000 in the past four years.  All of the money we have raised has gone directly to research for a cure and treatment for Mitochondrial Diseases.  This year our goal is $50,000 but we need your continued support to help us find a cure!

Who is Preston?

Preston is a wonderful, happy 10 year old with a smile that will capture your heart and a sense of humor that will make you fall in love with him immediately. When Preston was a year old he was not smiling or laughing. He was fighting for his life. Within days Preston stopped crawling,he had trouble breathing, basically he just "shut down". For three months doctors tried to find out what was causing his problems. After being referred to a Dr. in Atlanta, Georgia and going through a muscle biopsy and waiting weeks for a diagnosis Preston was diagnosed with a Mitochondrial disorder. With many prayers, vitamin treatments and multiple therapies Preston is doing well. He has developmental delays and hypotonia (low muscle tone) but he is smiling each day. Unfortunately there are many children out there who go undiagnosed and treatment may not work. There is no cure for a Mitochondrial Disease.

Pledge for Preston

Shamrock Sportsfest is supporting this charity by encouraging all race participants to collect donations in the form of pledges for research, education, treatment and cure for those who have mitochondrial disorders. Pledges do not have to be any set monetary amount and all proceeds are going to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. Print out the Preston's March For Energy Pledge Form to get started.

All donations will be collected at the Preston's March for Energy booth during the Expo. Everyone will receive a voucher for 10% of their collected donations as a reward for their support. The vouchers can be redeemed for shopping at the Shamrock Sportsfest Store.

What is a Mitochondrial Disorder?

Imagine a major city with half its power plants shut down. At best, such conditions would produce a "brown out" with large sections of the city working far below optimum efficiency. Now imagine your body with one-half of its energy producing facilities shut down. The brain would be impaired, vision would be dim, muscles would twitch spastically or would be too weak to allow your body to walk or write, your heart would be weakened, and you would not be able to eat and digest your food. For large numbers of people, especially children, this is precisely the situation in which they find themselves due to defects in the mitochondria, organelles found in every cell of the body which are responsible for the body's energy production. Mitochondrial diseases compromise their lives and can be fatal. Mitochondrial defects have also been linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's diabetes, autism, and the aging process. Since 1996, the UMDF (United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation) has funded over $1,000,000 in research toward a cure and has helped thousands of families through the family support network.

How do I March for Preston?

First make sure you have completed the official Yuengling Shamrock Sportsfest race entry form and pledge $5, $10, $15 or more. You may include your pledge with your race fee. You can sign up for an individual pledge or get together with a group of friends or co-workers and raise more money plus win great prizes. For more information contact Deb Buenaga at dsb689@verizon.net

For more information regarding Mitochondrial Disorders

United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation relies on the generosity of the community for financial support as well as volunteers. Their 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. Visit UMDF's site for additional information.

Financial statements are available from the State Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218