Laps 4 Life marks fifth anniversary

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/02/2017 (3317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jody Zarn had modest hopes for the first Laps 4 Life event five years ago.

“When I first created the event I thought that we’d only get about 60 people out to the race and we’d maybe raise $300,” Zarn said.

She raised that and then some. The first Laps 4 Life, which raises money for families with children affected by Batten disease, attracted more than 600 people and raised more than $12,000.

Zarn said Batten Disease is a rare neurological disorder with symptoms varying based on the age of the person it strikes.

The Manitoba children have late infantile Batten disease. She said they looked perfectly healthy until they were about four years old but may experience seizures, gradual blindness, mental impairments, and the loss of their ability to walk.

“They are not expected to live much past their 13th birthday,” Zarn explained. “Batten disease is always fatal and there is no cure.”

Zarn and friends stage Laps 4 Life each April at Kildonan Park, with this year’s event being held on Sat., April 29. Participants are invited to do as many laps of the approximately 1.2-mile course as they wish. The event begins at 9 a.m. at the north shelters near the golf course. All proceeds support families affected by Batten disease. Laps 4 Life has raised tens of thousands of dollars in the first four years.

Those funds are especially important, Zarn said.

“We have been able to show a great deal of support to our families who would have been otherwise left on their own to care for their children and navigate the health care system.

 “Our work is also especially important given the fact that there is no funding from the Canadian government for treatment or research.”

Batten disease is extremely rare. According to the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation, individual studies suggest an average incidence rate of 1.2 per 100,000 births.

“We believe there are only 12 kids in Canada who have Batten disease and four live in Manitoba,” Zarn said. “Because it is so rare, our Batten children often miss out on getting access to vital access to services and equipment available to other sick children.”

Enter Laps 4 Life, which helps with medication and equipment, including a wheelchair for one family in 2016.

Zarn said events begin with a magic show at École Rivière-Rouge (55 Swinford Way) on Sat., Feb. 25 featuring local magician Alex Jay Hamm. Laps 4 Life sponsors will be recognized as well. The event starts at 2 p.m.

Early bird registration for the April 29 event is $15 per person or $50 per family. Pledge collection is optional but welcome.

Registrations are being taken at The Running Room at 1615 Regent Ave W, or on race day. For more information, visit www.laps4life.com.

“Over the years we have built a community of people who have embraced our families and the cause, and the work that these people have done has been life-changing for our families,” Zarn said. “Our families recently told me that the work that our Laps 4 Life project has done for them has had a significant impact on their lives.”