Fiver’s Flamingos 2013
How does one start something like this? I guess you go back to the beginning, which in this case would be Mel, AKA Fiver, and we are her Flamingos.
Back in 2007, our friend Mel ( , AKA Fiver) was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Essentially, it causes all the motor neurons to shut down, gradually making the muscles unable to function. It’s very rare (1 in 1 Million) for someone who was only 34 years old to come down with this, as it mainly affects people between 50 and 70. Life expectancy is 3-5 years from diagnosis. The disease progressively takes away movement and coordination. In September 2007, she marched with fellow LotR fans in the annual DragonCon parade. Six months later, she was wheelchair bound, now has a permanent feeding tube, and can no longer talk or move outside of blinking her eyes.
To say that we all (Mel’s friends) felt more then a bit helpless would be an understatement. How do you fix something that can’t be fixed? The answer is, you can’t. But what you can do is take a page out of Mel’s book, slap a smile on your face, and always look on the funny side of life.
So 4 of us did something spur of the moment in 2009, when we got together to run the inaugural Disney Princess Half Marathon (13.1 miles) at Disney World. I threw together some team jerseys with iron on letters & princess stickers, and we dubbed ourselves “Fiver’s Flamingos” in honor of Mel, who loves both Flamingos and Disney more than anyone we know.
In 2010 we teamed up with The ALS Association of Georgia to help raise some money to find both a cure and treatments for ALS, as we ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon again that year, 2011, & 2012 with some new faces on the team.
ALS Research had a major breakthrough last year, as Northwestern University scientists discovered a common disease process for all of the types of ALS. This is a big step forward, and has helped researchers narrow down future studies in search of an effective treatment for ALS, and someday, a Cure. Your support has helped fund ALS Research projects like this, as well as directly helping the thousands of families affected by ALS in Georgia.
Right now, the ALS Association of Georgia is helping Melissa (Fiver) by providing a computer she can use just by moving her eyes.
Please, if you don’t mind, would you donate 1$ for every mile we are running? That would be 13.1 miles for $13.10. And even if all you have is $1 total to donate, every little bit helps. Just click here: http://support.ProjectFiver.com . If that site does not work for you, go here.
100% of your donation goes to the ALS Association of Georgia. Not one penny goes toward administering this group or paying race fees, etc. http://support.ProjectFiver.com
Thank you so much for your support!
You can find out more about Mel (and her amazing trip to New Zealand to be part of The Hobbit) here: http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/12/23/67590-exclusive-concerning-hobbit-extras/ & http://support.ProjectFiver.com
You can find out more about The ALS Association of Georgia here: http://www.alsaga.org/
Fiver’s Flamingos also has a Facebook FAN PAGE!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fivers-Flamingos/254829158749
Meet our Team, Fiver’s Flamingos:
Terrence is the team’s mascot, and our very best runner. Rumor has it that he may show up at the race again this year…
