Spring has always been the season for charity walks, runs and bike rides. But with the Covid-19 epidemic, these fundraising events have either been postponed until the fall or have gone virtual.
While it’s not the same as getting together with hundreds or thousands of like-minded individuals to get a little exercise and support a good cause, you can still make a difference. Sign up for one of the following upcoming events and do your own virtual 5k or a few laps around the neighborhood. We’re all in this together!
Walk MS Baltimore
Saturday, April 18
All Walk MS events through June 30 have been moved to a virtual experience, and this includes Baltimore. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS doesn’t stop during this crisis, and neither will they. People with MS need support now more than ever.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
Nearly 1 million people are living with MS in the United States. The National MS society provides educational, emotional, financial, health and wellness resources to patients and their families.
Whether it’s on a home treadmill or a social-distancing stroll around the block, on your Walk MS date (or whenever it’s convenient for you) celebrate Walk MS your way.
To register, please go to:
Kennedy Krieger Institute ROAR for Kids
Saturday, April 25
Instead of being held at its original location at Oregon Ridge Park, ROAR for Kids 2020 is now a virtual fundraiser to help kids and families at Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Participants can register to virtually race to receive a ROAR for Kids 2020 T-shirt, fundraise for Kennedy Krieger and race around your yard, house or neighborhood on event day.
All proceeds from the event will help raise much-needed funds for research and programs to help kids at Kennedy Krieger, an internationally recognized institution dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system through patient care, special education, research and community initiatives.
Kennedy Krieger’s clinical programs offer an interdisciplinary approach to treatment tailored to the individual needs of each child. Disorders addressed include autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, behavioral disorders, feeding disorders, learning disabilities, and brain and spinal cord injuries.
Services include more than 50 outpatient clinics an inpatient unit for the treatment of neurobehavioral, rehabilitation and pediatric feeding disorders; plus several home and community programs providing services to assist families.
To register, please go to:
JDRF Virtual One Walk
Saturday, April 25
JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) One Walk has a single goal: creating a world without type 1 diabetes (T1D). This annual walk helps raise money for life-changing research for the millions affected by this devastating disease.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly. It has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. If you have T1D, your pancreas stops producing insulin—a hormone essential to turning food into energy.
This means you must constantly monitor your blood-sugar level, inject or infuse insulin from a pump and carefully monitor your eating and activity every single day. JDRF is the leading global organization funding T1D research.
To register, please go to:
Ride For The Feast 2020
Saturday, May 2
The 18th Annual Ride for the Feast event should have been a 140-mile bike ride from Ocean City to Baltimore, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, this will be a virtual event to bring riders, volunteers, and supporters together.
Ride for the Feast raises money for Moveable Feast, the only Maryland nonprofit that delivers healthy meals to people living with HIV, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Services are provided in Baltimore City, the five surrounding counties and on the Eastern Shore, all at no cost to clients.
Last year, Moveable Feast delivered 656,158 life-saving meals to 4,365 Marylanders in need. 100% of your donation goes directly to the services provided to clients, and donations to Ride for the Feast are being put to use immediately as they continue to operate during this critical time to deliver meals to clients.
To register, please go to:
Parkinson’s Moving Day
Saturday, May 9
Moving Day is an annual fundraising walk event hosted by the Parkinson’s Foundation. It is a fun and inspiring fundraising event that unites families, friends and communities both large and small in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder. There is currently no cure, but there are many treatment options to manage symptoms. The Parkinson’s Foundation provides support and resources that help people with Parkinson’s and their care partners plan for Parkinson’s disease.
To register, please go to:
NAMIWalks Your Way Maryland
Saturday, May 30
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. One in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year, and one in six youth in the U.S. experience a mental health disorder each year.
NAMIWalks Your Way lets participants make NAMIWalks their own. You can walk a 5K—through your neighborhood, around your backyard, on your treadmill.
Or you can do something else meaningful and fun to celebrate our virtual walk day, such as planning a craft day with their kids, holding a virtual bake-off with their team, practicing self-care with a favorite hobby: yoga, gardening, knitting, or hosting a virtual paint and sip party.
To register, please go to:
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