ISSUED: 12 September 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Cecelia Mason
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University’s Wishmakers on Campus® is sponsoring Glow Run for a Cause on Friday, September 22, at 7 p.m. Check-in for the 5K and one-mile fun run will begin at 6 p.m. at the Jefferson Security Bank Pavilion next to Ram Stadium. The registration fee is $10 for Shepherd students with a valid Rambler ID, Shepherd employees, and youth under age 17 and $20 for the public.
The money raised will benefit Shepherd’s newest Make-A-Wish® child, Gerald “GW” Everhart of Martinsburg, West Virginia. GW’s mother, Cynthia Everhart, said the five-year-old is into monster trucks, monster jam cars, trains, and construction vehicles. His wish is to visit Disney World by train. The trip is planned for early December.
When he was two years old, GW was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood and bone marrow. Cynthia said the first sign of the illness was what appeared to be an injured ankle. After several doctor visits where she was told nothing was wrong, a pediatrician noticed GW’s lymph nodes were swollen and ordered blood testing. That resulted in a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, where GW was diagnosed.
“He was walking around on a fractured leg from beginning of November until late January,” Cynthia said. “They found out that he had a few more site fractures in other parts of his body. And yet he was still just happy. He didn’t complain about his leg or anything. He did stop walking on it and went back to crawling, but he didn’t cry a lot about it or anything.”
GW’s cancer treatments ended this past April, but Cynthia said monitoring will continue and the worry that he could relapse, or the cancer could come back stronger, won’t go away. She said he’s excited about taking the train to Disney World in early December to meet Mickey Mouse and Woody from the movie “Toy Story.” She’s appreciative of Wishmakers on Campus® for raising money through events such as the Glow Fun Run so children like GW can have their wishes come true.
GW will be at the Glow Run, which will feature a 5K and one-mile route. All ages and abilities are welcome to participate. The first 100 participants to sign up will receive a t-shirt. All participants will receive glow sticks and can decorate their shirts with glow paint and markers.
An after party is planned on the Midway, the grass area in front of Ram Stadium next to the Student Center. This is an opportunity to fuel up with Kona Ice, lawn games, music, and just fun with friends.
To pre-register, visit the Glow Run for a Cause webpage.
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