More than 500 runners expected to participate in event benefiting the Kier’s Hope Foundation. 1-800-TruckWreck, powered by Witherite Law Group, announced it is the primary sponsor – with a donation of $15,000 – of this year’s Kier’s Hope 6th Annual 5K Run and Fun Walk during Kier’s Hope Sickle Cell Awareness Month, which was declared by the Texas Senate in 2019.
The Walk, held at the Margaret Hunt- Hill Bridge/Trinity River Park, Spur 366 over the Trinity River, Dallas, TX 75207 on Saturday, June 1, which is also Kier’s Hope Day in the City of Dallas begins with registration at 7 a.m. CDT, and the run starts at 8 a.m. CDT.
The 5K Run and Fun Walk is free and open to the public and will feature raffles, games, music, giveaways and fun children’s activities.
Additionally, participants can attend sessions and panel discussions on new medications for sickle cell disease, bone marrow transplant and gene therapy, new areas of research in sickle cell disease, transfusion medicine, pain management, and navigating the school system as a parent or child with sickle cell disease. The event will also include a blood drive and blood donation.
Steve Harvey Morning Show co-host and comedian Kier “Junior” Spates, who was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at the age of seven, founded the Kier’s Hope Foundation Inc. in 2018 to inspire and educate families affected by the disease, as well as provide education, programs, services and funding resources.
Spates’ experience with sickle cell as a child – unexplainable pain, misdiagnoses, countless emergency room visits and hospital stays – fed his passion for helping others understand the disease and dispelling the stigma associated with it.
Spates was inspired to start the foundation by Amy Witherite and the work she does in the communities her firm serves. “More than 100,000 people suffer from sickle cell disease in the U.S. with African Americans being the most susceptible.
Our goal is to eliminate sickle cell disease altogether through education, awareness and community engagement,” said Spates. “With the help of our primary sponsor, Amy Witherite and Witherite Law Group, we’re hosting this event for the sixth year and plan to expand to other cities, increasing awareness and support for families and individuals impacted by this disease.”
Sickle cell anemia is a common inherited blood disorder that inhibits the ability of hemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen. The sickle cells stick together, blocking small blood vessels, causing pain and other serious complications like infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.
The disease affects over 100,000 Americans, mostly African Americans or people who identify as Black.
“The growth of this event is encouraging, as it’s evidence that more people are becoming aware of and supporting the critical efforts of the foundation,” said Witherite, owner of Witherite Law Group and 1-800-TruckWreck. “As health care professionals work to create and approve new medications and therapies for sickle cell, we will continue to partner with Kier’s Hope Foundation to do what we can tonensure the best quality of life for those impacted.”
In addition to Witherite Law Group, this year’s event is sponsored by The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Trinity Grove, Carter Blood Bank, Smile Time Dentistry and D. Herbs and will feature performances by the D-Down Crew, the official dance team of the Dallas Mavericks.
All proceeds raised through the walk will go to the Kier’s Hope Foundation and address the immediate needs of persons and families affected by sickle cell disease.
