Held in Warrenton, Eastern Missouri, ”Slim’s Journey” raised $19,000 on September 12, 2015 for FARA!
Slim's Journey is held each year in September. This year was the fourth annual event, with nearly 300 attendees this year. The event is a 5k run / 2.5k walk, and participants could register for either event. The 5k competitors vied for honors along gender line; top male finisher and top female finisher, along with top three finishers in specific age and gender brackets. Along the route, information about FA was available; including a personal account of challenges faced by an individual with FA.
Slim’s Journey has raised a total of $89,000 for FARA. Next year marks the fifth year of the event, and a huge milestone for the event organizers. We hope to meet our $100,000 fundraising goal.
It was June 2011 when our family learned of Friedreich's ataxia. We were not fortunate enough to learn of the disease through an article, a blog, or an event. We learned the hard way, with a neurologist giving us the name as the diagnosis for our 16 year old son. On that day, it felt as if we hit a brick wall going 60 miles per hour.
Putting this event together with my family has allowed me to move through my grieving process and strengthen my relationship with God. I absolutely want there to be a cure for FA but more importantly, I want others to know nothing is impossible when God is in it.