HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Seventh Annual Haverford College Joe Schwartz ’83 Memorial 3K Run/Walk will take place on Sunday, April 27 but preparations for the event have begun.
The Fitness Center is sponsoring a 10-week training program starting on February 17 to help the Haverford College community get ready to conquer the on-campus course at the end of April.
Participants in the training program can accumulate points for a variety of exercises including attending any of the weekly exercises class offerings. Boot Camp for the faculty and staff will take place in Gooding Arena on Tuesday and Thursday from 12-12:45 p.m. while Fitness Center workouts for the whole College community will be on Wednesday from 8-8:45 a.m. and Friday from 12-12:45 p.m.
Prizes will be awarded on race day for the individual and team with the most points. Points can be logged on a poster in the Fitness Center.
The race, supporting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research, will begin and end at Haverford College’s Founders Green for the second consecutive year. Post-race activities include a barbecue as well as a Kids Fun Run.
Participants who sign up by the pre-registration deadline of Friday, April 11 will receive a commemorative race shirt.
The six-year history of the event, which seeks to raise health and fitness awareness throughout the Haverford community, has seen over $23,000 raised in the fight against ALS with a record number of 224 people participate in 2013.
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 from the Run/Walk will be donated to The ALS Association and directed towards ALS research. 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.