Looking back on Florence Forth and the AE Family Luncheon 2019
April 2, 2019
On Saturday March 2 the AE Alliance hosted their annual Florence Forth Race. Around 1,000 runners and walkers participated and the weather was just perfect for a run.
We are thankful to everyone that supported this great community event; the participants, the 100+ volunteers who made it all possible, those who supported us financially (raising almost $35,000 for the AE Alliance!) and the AE Alliance Board members.
A special thank you to the band, Jerry’s Nub and the Shriver Family. They came all the way from South Carolina to play on the course, giving runners the energy to push through. Luke Shriver is an AE survivor and band member of Jerry’s Nub, so it was very special having him and his friends play at the Florence Forth Race.
After the race, there was the AE Family Luncheon at The Pit, where those affected by AE could connect with others and share their stories in an intimate setting. Knowing you are not alone in this battle against AE gives you the strength to continue fighting. Sahar Semerkant shared a beautiful poem she had written herself titled, ‘Reasons to Recover’.
In the afternoon Dr. Heather Van Mater spoke about treatment, relapse and recovery. People had the chance to ask questions on various topics related to AE. Dr. Rebecca Sadun worked with the teens in a separate session, learning and sharing while doing a meaningful activity. Thank you, to Dr. Van Mater and Dr. Sadun for taking the time to come work with these families, it is very much appreciated!
Copyright – 2019 Liz Condo Photography
About the Florence Forth Road Race
Florence Forth was started by Leslie and Will McDow who lost their daughter Florence on March 4th, 2012 after a long battle with autoimmune encephalitis.
