EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – The National MS Society is on track to scare up a cure for multiple sclerosis. On Saturday, Oct. 25, adults and children alike will gather at dusk on the grounds of Rentschler Field to run a Halloween-themed 5K, full of chills and thrills, spooky costumes, and sweet treats.
The event will also include kid-friendly trick-or-treating, face painting, pumpkin bowling and a bounce house. Over The Top Kids Parties will also be on site with kid-friendly characters, including Frozen’s Elsa, Ironman, Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Spongebob Squarepants.
After the run, Thomas Hooker Brewery will be offering beer samplings for those of-age. Also on-tap will be seasonally spooky and vintage tunes from Hartford’s classic hits station, WDRC.
The run will include official timing and scoring, with trophies and cash prizes for the winners. Costumes are encouraged. Prizes will also be awarded for the scariest, funniest and most creative costumes. All proceeds from Run MS, A Spooktacular 5K, will benefit the National MS Society.
Preregistration is $25. Day-of registration is $35. The 2014 Run MS, A Spooktacular 5K, takes place Saturday, Oct. 25, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The first 300 people to pre-register will receive a free Run MS tee-shirt. Registration begins at 4 p.m. The run starts at 5 p.m., just in time for runners to finish before sundown. Awards will be distributed at 6:30 p.m.
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents are affected by multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown and there is currently no cure for MS. Symptoms can include, among other things, numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, loss of mobility and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
Dressed to surprise, Todd Piro, reporter and news anchor with NBC Connecticut, will serve as the run’s grand marshal. Piro will also be at NBC Connecticut’s annual Health and Wellness Festival on Sat., Sept. 27 handing out $5 off vouchers for Run MS between 11 a.m. and noon.
Community partners for Run MS include Connoisseur Media, Harte Family Motors and Hartford Restaurant Group.
For more information or to register as an individual or a team, visit www.ctfightsMS.org.