Others
SEATTLE, Nov. 14 -What more fitting way to close the Thanksgiving weekend and kick off the holiday season than 3,000 children coming together and running a marathon to raise awareness and support for other children fighting cancer?
Welcome to the Seattle Kids Marathon 2005. Now in its 6th year, the event will begin Saturday, November 26, at 10:00 a.m. In its first year, 312 children participated in the event. This year, an anticipated 3,000 children representing 72 local schools will be running.*
Saturday will represent the culmination of a five-week, 25-mile program administered independently and through local schools in cooperation with the Seattle Marathon Association. When the kids complete the final 1.2 miles on Saturday, they will have completed a full marathon in a manner that is healthy for their growing bodies. Event sponsors include Bothell pediatric dentist Dr. Jon Dallman D.D.S., M.S., P.S.
What makes this event particularly special is that the kids run to raise funds and awareness to fight childhood cancer. In the three years the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Puget Sound has been the event beneficiary, children acting independently and in teams through their schools have raised several thousand dollars in contributions for the organization. In the past two years, Harrisdirect and the Seattle Marathon Association have raised approximately $100,000 for the Candlelighters, which have helped support over 2,000 area children and families confronting the devastating illness. All contributions to the Candlelighters are tax-deductible.
The Seattle Kids Marathon is always dedicated to Candlelighters members -- this year's race will be run in honor of Sara Schumacher, a 14-year-old from Mount Lake Terrace, WA, who won her battle against a brain tumor and Alex Stout, a 14-year-old from Eastside Catholic High School, currently in remission from Acute Lymphatic Leukemia (ALL). Sara and Alex will officially start the race.
It's easy to recognize the value and impact that this event and the Candlelighters organization have on the community as a whole:
-- It's a great community event
-- It instills healthy habits for a lifetime of fitness among young
children
-- It provides a great measure of satisfaction and accomplishment for
their hard work and dedication
-- It teaches them how good it feels when your efforts go to help others
-- It supports -- and builds awareness of -- a tremendous local
organization
-- And it encourages kids to come together and be involved with their
schools and community for a cause
For complete event information, including registration, expo schedules and event start times, please visit http://www.seattlemarathon.org.
About Candlelighters of Puget Sound:
The Candlelighters of Puget Sound is an all-volunteer non-profit foundation run primarily by individuals who have been affected by cancer and parents or relatives of children diagnosed with cancer. Its mission is to educate, serve and advocate for children with cancer, their families, survivors of childhood cancer and the professionals who care for them.
The Puget Sound chapter is recognized by the US Government as a 501(c)(3); IRS Tax ID#: 91-2171599.
The Candlelighters of Puget Sound is a chapter of the National Candlelighters organization, which has over 43,000 members and is headquartered in Washington, DC. While Candlelighters of Puget Sound is affiliated with the national organization, it does not receive funding from the parent foundation, nor does it receive funding from any hospitals or government-run facilities.
For additional information on the Candlelighters of Puget Sound and the National Candlelighters organization, please visit http://www.candlelightersps.org.
About Harrisdirect:
Harrisdirect LLC is an affiliate of E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corp. The E*TRADE FINANCIAL family of companies provides financial services including trading, investing, banking and lending for retail and institutional customers.
* Participating Schools
Following is the list of schools that have registered to this point. We anticipate additional schools that participated last year to confirm in the next two weeks.
Alexander Graham Bell Elementary Kirkland WA
Alternative Elementary II @ Decatur Seattle WA
Arbor Heights Elementary Seattle WA
Audubon Elementary Redmond WA
Bush School Seattle WA
Carbonado Historical School Enumclaw WA
Carriage Crest Elementary Renton WA
East Ridge Elementary Woodinville WA
Echo Lake Elementary Shoreline WA
Elk Ridge Elementary Buckley WA
Enumclaw Middle School Enumclaw WA
Gildo Rey Elementary Auburn WA
Girl Scout Troop #774 Puyallup WA
Greenwood School Seattle WA
Highland Terrace Elementary Shoreline WA
John Stanford International School Seattle WA
Lowell Elementary (Seattle) Seattle WA
Mark Twain Elementary Kirkland WA
Mill Creek Elementary Mill Creek WA
McAlder Elementary Puyallup WA
Olympic View Elementary Seattle WA
Ordway Elementary Bainbridge Island WA
Pine Tree Elementary Kent WA
Robert Frost Elementary Kirkland WA
Sacajawea Elementary Seattle WA
Salem Woods Elementary Monroe WA
Samantha Smith Elementary Sammamish WA
Sawyer Woods Elementary Black Diamond WA
The Overlake School Redmond WA
Thorndyke Elementary Tukwila WA
TOPS Kids' Company Seattle WA
University Cooperative School Seattle WA
View Ridge Elementary Seattle WA
West Woodland Elementary Seattle WA
Whittier Elementary Puyallup WA
Wildwood Part Elementary Auburn WA
CONTACT:
Charlotte Fox, Harrisdirect
201-308-3562
charlotte.fox@theharris.com
