Mary Kate's Legacy 5K Scheduled for Aug. 28

When Tom and Eileen Marlow were in need, their friends and family stepped up with loving hearts and kind generosity.

Now, they say they want to give back and help others in need through Mary Kate’s Legacy Foundation.

The Marlow’s daughter, Mary Kate, passed away in 2005 at the age of 11 after fighting Infantile Neuro-axonal Dystrophy, a rare progressive disease. Mary Kate’s Legacy Foundation was formed in her honor to support families of special needs children.

The foundation will hold a 5K race and one-mile walk on Aug. 28 at the Green Parrot to raise money for the cause.

After Mary Kate was diagnosed as a toddler, the Marlows realized they needed an array of equipment to allow their daughter to be transported and live comfortably.

“Of course we needed to purchase a van with a wheelchair lift. We had to make accommodations to our home to facilitate a wheelchair, widen doorways and add ramps,” explained Eileen Marlow on the foundation’s website, www.marykateslegacy.com.

“We purchased a special tricycle, shower bed, hot tub, swing and eventually even installed a motorized lift to help Mary Kate in and out of bed to her wheelchair and shower. The list of out-of-pocket expenses goes on. All of these items are cost exorbitant and none are covered by insurance, as they are deemed not medically necessary. Tom and I have been blessed by the generosity of family and friends who raised money to assist us with some of these expenses,” she added.

The couple, who live in Holland, formed the foundation to give back to other families facing similar challenges.

“We would like to help other families with special needs children free themselves of some of those barriers and improve their quality of life. Our van lift enabled Mary Kate to visit family and friends, go to church or to the mall, go to a park or museum and even on family vacations. These are things we all take for granted,” Eileen Marlow says on the website.

The foundation is “a perfect opportunity to give back to other people the way people did for us,” Tom Marlow said. The 11-member board reviews requests from families and selects who will receive support from the foundation, he noted.

This is the second year the foundation has held the 5K to raise money.  They also do an annual golf outing.

Pre-registration, which closes Aug. 23, is $10 for the walk and $20 for the run.  Same-day registration begins at 8 a.m. and is $15 for the walk and $25 for the run. A kid’s dash, which is free, begins at 9:15 a.m. on race day. The walk starts at 9:30 a.m. and the 5K run follows at 10 a.m.

There will be post-race refreshments and all 5K runners will be timed. The event will be held rain or shine.

Click here to pre-register online.