(5-7-09) From AA Sports Press Release - The 13th Annual Pacific Crest Weekend Sports Festival presented by Sunriver Vacations, provides a unique opportunity for athletes to compete and raise funds towards their personal causes. Each year, organizations & individuals from all 50 states and internationally, participate in one of the 10 different races, ranging from a Long Course Triathlon to an Olympic Distance triathlon, a Marathon to a 5k Run/Walk.
Over the past two years, Team Defeat MS (www.pacificcrestdefeatms.com) has raised $85,000 through Pacific Crest and hopes to bring in another $20,000 in 2009. Also Team Risky Business (www.teamriskybusiness.com), in conjunction with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.laf.org), is joining with the Children's Tumor Foundation to bring in $20,000 this year for their respective causes. And in 2009, Team In Training will bring chapters from eight different states to compete at Pacific Crest. With over 300 athletes, they are estimating to raise over $500,000 to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society www.teamintraining.org.
Another special opportunity the Pacific Crest Weekend Sports Festival offers is the chance for athletes who have overcome personal challenges to compete in a gorgeous and unique destination race. Athletes like Jim Browder, who after being diagnosed with Dystonia (a neurological movement disorder) a few years ago, continues to run marathons. "With me it (Dystonia) has affected my left leg and foot. In my case, any type of exercise causes it to 'kick in' with walking and running the most pronounced problems. Basically my brain tells my legs to go forward but my body does not respond in the normal way causing my gait to be awkward and difficult. This makes running any distance a real challenge. Though my marathon time has gone from under three and a half hours to over six hours, I set a goal of finishing all 50 states. The marathon in Sunriver in June will be my 51st marathon (one in each state plus DC). I have not repeated a state. I am very excited in choosing Sunriver for my final marathon in the quest for my goal and look forward to spending a wonderful weekend in such an incredible place."
The 2009 Pacific Crest Weekend Sports Festival will take place June 26-28,
2009 in gorgeous Sunriver, Oregon. For more information on this event or its beneficiaries, please visit, www.racecenter.com/pacificcrest.
