This year’s MuckFest MS Philadelphia Mud Run was held on May 30 and 31. Runners teamed up and ran the 5K race with over 15 obstacles to help put a stop to Multiple Sclerosis.
Approximately 7,500 people participated in Philadelphia’s run across the two day period and raised $600,000, which will help provide funding for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s research to stop the progression of the disease and end MS. MS causes damage to the nervous system and can impair information streaming between the brain and body. This disease affects more than two million people worldwide.
The University’s team - one of the 10 largest teams nationally and fifth largest locally - competed in the Mud Run with 71 members (full list below) and raised over $4,000 through a combination of donations and corporate support.
“The entire school came together to support such an important cause. Events like this do not come together overnight, and it would not have been possible without everyone chipping in to make it possible,” said team captain Eric Reuter ’16OT, president of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) chapter at Salus. “Everyone brags about the strong community here at Salus, but you don't really believe it, until you live it.” Representing all four Colleges within the University, the Salus students who participated in the race are enrolled in degree programs for occupational therapy, optometry, physician assistant, audiology, and orientation and mobility.
The National MS Society has dedicated the MuckFest MS Mud Runs to raise money to achieve a multiple sclerosis-free world. Through the months of June and November several other MuckFest MS Mud Runs will be held in various cities across the United States. The MuckFest MS Philadelphia Mud Run came to a close but Salus students are optimistic about future MuckFests. “I hope next year is even bigger and better than it was this year,” Reuter said.
Salus University team sponsors included Weaver Eye Associates, John Kennedy Ford - Feasterville, Aquatic Fitness Center, and Austill’s Rehabilitation Services, Inc.
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