HAVERFORD, Pa. – The ninth annual Joe Schwartz '83 Memorial 3K Run/Walk held on the campus of Haverford College was a prosperous outing as the race and events leading up to Saturday's race raised over $11,000 for The ALS Association. Other events that occurred on campus during ALS Awareness Week included a 3v3 basketball tournament on Friday and an A Capella concert (Susan Aronchick Memorial Concert) on Saturday.
The race, supporting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research, began and ended at Haverford College's Founders Green for the fourth consecutive year. Before the race, children participated in the Kids Fun Run while post-race activities included a barbecue.
This year, 332 participants gathered at Founders' Green with 93 runners finishing the 3K race and 123 finishers in the one mile walk. Over the nine years of the event, over $55,000 has been sent to The ALS Association which will fund research of the disease and patient care.
Joe's son, Elliot Schwartz '14 won the event for the fifth straight year with a time of 10:07.9. Kristina Kronaur was the top female finisher in the fifth position (10:53.8). Russell Nicholson '18 (10:32.3), Henri Drake '15 (10:51.6) and Gil Antnez (10:52.1) finished in the second through fourth positions.
Joe Schwartz graduated from Haverford College in 1983. He was a committed member of Haverford's cross country and track teams for the four years he attended Haverford, and he excelled in both sports. He encouraged those who won MAC Championships as well as students who were casual participants to be part of something bigger than themselves. From the moment he stepped on the Haverford campus, Joe was integral in building a proud tradition of athletic excellence at this school.
In 1995, Joe contracted Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 34. He first noticed the symptoms when he was out training for road races. He courageously endured the hardships imposed by this cruel disease for thirteen years until his unfortunate death on March 2, 2008.
The Joe Schwartz '83 Memorial 3K Run/Walk is designed to attract the running superstar and the walking novice because that is exactly how Joe would want it. He simply loved people lacing up their shoes and enjoying the freedom to run and walk, a freedom that was deprived from Joe by ALS. Proceeds will be donated to The ALS Association and directed towards ALS research and patient services. The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. The cause, cure and means of control of ALS are unknown. Symptoms of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, include the wasting and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk as well as those that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing and respiration.
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