ALS Alert Newsletter | June

It IS a Fiesta!

Our Best-Ever Fiesta 5K Race Earned $236,631 to Beat ALS

More than 1,600 runners and walkers stretched, met friends and family and chatted enthusiastically at Baltimore’s Ravens stadium early the morning of May 1st just before the signal to start in the Packard Center’s Fiesta 5K. The weather was great—hot but dry, no rain. People were pumped. It is a fiesta!

On hand were Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and radio 98Rock personality, Keith Mills, as well as many Ravens players and the Maryland University men’s basketball team.

The stadium concourse was a palette of color -- splashes of pink, chartreuse, orange, sage and more. In this 4th annual run and walk to benefit the Center, each team shows its colors, each team has its own driving reason to cure ALS.

The largest team by far, Brigance Brigade, honors much-loved athlete OJ Brigance, now Baltimore Ravens director of player development, who was diagnosed with the illness in 2007. The Brigade’s 224 members came from OJ’s own Ravens, his family and friends, the University of Maryland Men’s Basketball Team, the Ravens cheerleaders, Ravens Moms, the NFL Players Association and 98 Rock and Recovery, a team from the Baltimore radio station. Many of them wearing their purple Brigade tees, the team earned more than $17,000 this year.

OJ BRIGANCE FEELS THE LOVE FROM MARYLAND’S TERRAPIN BASKETBALL, PART OF THIS YEAR’S BRIGANCE BRIGADE

For the 64 rose-shirted members of Team Low and Slow — it’s a reference to the Maryland Terps and something to do with Navy helicopters — their inspiration is Gary O’Connor, who learned he had ALS at age 52. Team L&S, gathered from across the U.S., has entered every Fiesta 5K. The $26,000+ they raised this year makes their total higher than $80,000 for ALS research.

TEAM LOW AND SLOW’S BECCA O’CONNOR (center) TAKES HOME A TROPHY

This is the first year for the 75 members of Cure ALS NOW who earned more than $17,000.

Team Radcliffe/BCBA Run stood out in their chartreuse tees. This is the second year for the spirited runners, some 120-strong, who are racing for their family member and friend, Mike Radcliffe. More than $11,000 was contributed to the Center.

BALTIMORE LAWYER MIKE RADCLIFFE

Carpy’s six family members, spurred on by the memory of their father, Gerald Brian Carpenter, collected $5,355. Michael Carpenter was team captain.

Don’t let the name Hombres de Hierro (Men of Iron) fool you. They always include determined women. The 18 runners of all ages were back for the fourth time, raising nearly $5,000 to lift their lifetime total to roughly $23,000 for Packard research. Family member John Yuhas has ALS. His brother, team captain Ben Yuhas, is an active Center supporter.

Running for cArLSon, the newest large team, has its push from Fred Carlson, Viet Nam veteran, USAF colonel, a competitive runner and marathoner before his ALS diagnosis in 2008. A feisty group, the 40 Carlson family members and friends topped their goal, raising $8,800 for the Packard Center. Son Brian won the trophy in his class.

FRED CARLSON AND WIFE MARY JO CROSS THE 5K WALK FINISH LINE.
Photo credit: One Rock Studio

After Zoey Bouchelle graduated from Penn State—she played on their women’s soccer team—her father, William, died of ALS. Still a tightly-knit group, the team rallied ‘round to form Bouchelle and Friends, which has added high energy to the last two Fiesta 5Ks. This year’s $17,000+ brings the team’s total contribution to more than $47,000.

A highlight for Packard insiders was knowing that sisters Lauren and Katherine (Cassie) Packard—team PackAttack—were making their first Fiesta 5K run. The young women are the daughters of Robert Packard, the Center’s namesake. PackAttack raised some $7,000.

Lauren Packard wastes no time in running for the cure.
Photo credit: One Rock Studio

Lest single runners feel downplayed, that’s not the case. Solo runners are a major source of help to the Center. Chiara Tedone is a stellar example. This year, she raised $12,000 in honor of her sister, Deanna.

As for overall friends of the Fiesta 5K, we’re again indebted to our sponsors, whose generosity has kept us powered year after year: WBAL TV and radio, McCormick Spice, 98Rock, AEGON, PowerAde, Panera and the Baltimore Ravens.