10th Nautica New York City Triathlon includes Paul's Posse: 41 athletes raising funds for The Amyloidosis Foundation
During the 10th annual Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday, July 18th, over 3,400 people will swim, bike, and run 31 miles around Manhattan. Competitors will swim one mile in the Hudson River, bike 25 miles on the Westside Highway, and run 6.2 miles across 72nd Street and loop around Central Park before reaching the finish line on Dead Road.
There are over 1,000 athletes competing to raise money for 20+ non-profits, and participating charities expect to raise nearly $3 million. Forty-one of those athletes competing are with Paul's Posse, a group raising funds for The Amyloidosis Foundation in memory of the late Paul Hawthorne.
“When I started putting the word out about getting a New York City Triathlon team together to honor Paul and help others living with Amyloidosis, the disease I’d previously never heard of that took Paul’s life, I expected a handful of super-athletic friends to step up and volunteer," says Amy Hawthorne, Paul's widow. "Before I knew it, my cousin, who I hadn't seen since I was 8 years old, was signing up. An old college friend from Chicago messaged me on Facebook saying she was already researching hotels and bike rental shops in New York. A friend in North Carolina was nervous about swimming in the Hudson River but then quickly got over it by thinking, 'some slimy river water is nothing compared to what Paul went through.' Now there are 41 of us who make up 'Paul's Posse'. Some will brave the entire Olympic level course while others (like me) chose the safer relay team option. No matter what, we'll all be there for the same reason. To honor an exceptional human being like Paul and the thousands of other Amyloidosis warriors who continue to battle bravely against this rare and allusive disease. Paul’s Posse’s rallying cry is “Amy vs. Amy (the abbreviation for Amyloidosis)." Learn more about Amy and Paul's story from her blog: http://gettingpaulhealthy.blogspot.com/.
“The Amyloidosis Foundation provides critical support to research and clinical efforts aimed at treating and eventually curing this devastating disease,” said Dr. Raymond Comenzo, director of the adult Hematology/Oncology Clinic at Tufts Medical Center. Paul Hawthorne was a patient of Dr. Comenzo’s at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “Just a few months ago, the foundation supported the attendance of 15 young physicians and scientists at this year’s International Amyloidosis Workshop in Rome – the most important annual conference aimed at promoting the most recent breakthroughs in Amyloidosis. Fundraising efforts like Paul’s Posse are an essential part of furthering this work.” Visit Tufts Medical Center website for information on Dr. Comenzo's research at: http://www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/giving/AmyloidosisMyelomaResearchFund
The Amyloidosis Foundation is supported primarily by private donations," says Mary E. O'Donnell, President, Amyloidosis Foundation. “Without these donations our mission of increasing education and awareness of Amyloidosis within the community leading to earlier diagnosis and improved treatment could not be met. The effect of a group such as Paul's Posse on our mission is immeasurable." Visit The Amyloidosis Foundation website for more information about this disease: http://www.amyloidosis.org/.
Less than one percent of the U. S. population has Amyloidosis (although that is probably vastly under diagnosed, especially in the African-American community). It is a disease that is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late. Left untreated the disease has an average survival rate of about 15 months. It literally can kill people before they know what has hit them. In Paul Hawthorne’s case, he was diagnosed in August 2008 and passed away just before Christmas that same year.
Please help Amy Hawthorne and Dr. Comenzo raise awareness about the disease, as well as raise funds for the Amyloidosis Foundation. If you would like to set up an interview with them, please contact us at your earliest convenience. They are available from June 28th through July 16th. Here is a link to an interview they recently did together: http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=46461
Thanks for taking a look!
All the best,
Lisa Berkowitz
Berkowitz & Associates
lisaberkowitzpr@yahoo.com
Maureen Kelly
Berkowitz & Associates
908 953 0602
mkelly@bizbookpr.com
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