Durham, NC 2014 Miles for Meso

Davis Duo

Durham, NC – A couple of weeks ago I agreed (wholeheartedly) to help captain a virtual team for this year’s Miles 4 Meso race in Alton, IL.

TODAY I REGISTERED!! And I hope you will too.

To make it easier – and possibly more fun, especially for my local peeps – I’m offering to donate another $5 for anyone joining me Saturday September 27th at 8:30 am at Durham’s Northgate Park! For each person who makes the commitment to come out and run or walk with me in honor of Mesothelioma Awareness Day & the 6th Annual running of the Alton, IL Miles 4 Meso event, I’ll donate to the cause in your honor. *If you bring your dog, I’ll donate another $5!

Meso Awareness Day is actually September 26th. The day will most certainly be marked by Mesothelioma Awareness Research Foundation Warriors in Times Square, as my father joined in while he was alive. The weekend of MAD he would also try to run the Simmons Hanly Conroy race.

courtesy CureMeso.org

So in his honor I will try to run, or at least walk, a planned course in the Northgate neighborhood (300 West Club Blvd).

YOU can register for the ADAO Mesothelioma Warrior Virtual Team.

I signed up and created the group Durham Davis’s and added I was running in honor of Larry Davis!

** Also, if you join me, in addition to donating $5 to ADAO for you, I’ll provide Saturday morning snacks at my place!

Me & Mary from MARF in 2012

Miles4Meso 2014 & ADAO

6 years ago the Simmons Law Firm in Alton, IL began a race called Miles 4 Meso. Since then numerous groups, companies and individuals have started their own M4M races or rides all across the country. My father organized his 1st the following year, in 2010. The proceeds all going to advancing the little knowledge the world has in regards to the devastating cancer, Mesothelioma, and trying to find a cure.

This year the original race, held the weekend of National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, has pledged their support to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and President, Linda Reinstein.

I personally don’t think I have run a race since the M4M event a few months following my father’s death in 2012. It certainly brings up a number of feelings, many that are not worth mentioning here, but at least one of anger that the US has not yet banned the use of asbestos in many household and automotive products – or that they didn’t when politicians learned asbestos was killing people.

Reinstein recently held a campaign to bring more awareness to Congress #message2congress about the dangers of asbestos. That, in addition to traveling the world for asbestos related hearings and visiting the many victims and families of this horrible killer.

I look forward to helping her bring visibility to this year’s Miles 4 Meso, ADAO and the dangers of asbestos exposure.

Please join us! Either in person or as part of the ADAO Mesothelioma Warriors Virtual Team . XO~Courtney

‘South Florida Miles for Meso’ Sun Sentinel Article

Courtesy the Sun Sentinel/Palm Beach edition –  with special thanks to photographer Gina Fontana (I’ll post the actual article when I have it scanned)

The third annual “South Florida Miles for Meso 8K & 2M Tribute Walk,” benefiting the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, will take place on Feb. 12 at Spanish River Park located in Boca Raton.

Pompano Beach resident and avid runner, Larry Davis, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2006, will host the race.

Each year nearly 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers.

After a latency period of 10 to 50 years, the cancer invades the linings of the lungs, abdomen and heart.

There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma.

This year Davis will team up with the Runner’s Edge Foundation (REF) to help promote healthy living.

REF promotes running and physical fitness for people of all ages. The foundation also supports groups and organizations in pursuit of running and physical fitness through teams, programs, competitions and educational means.

“My stepmother passed away a few years ago from cancer after a very long and difficult battle. I was very close to her and seeing Larry in a difficult cancer battle is something close to me … while I can never truly understand, I can support his fight,” said REF creator, Tom Vladimir.

A post-race party will include an awards ceremony, food, beverages, bounce house and more. To register for the race, visit http://www.Active.com.

A pre-race mesothelioma symposium will take place on Feb. 11th at the Hilton Hotel Deerfield/Boca from 3 to 7 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet leading experts in mesothelioma cancer research.

For more information about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, visit http://www.curemeso.org.

(L-R) Ken Butalewicz, Susie Simms, John May and Courtney May, 11.------Special to the Sun-Sentinel, Photo by Gina Fontana