LuMind RDS Named an Official Charity Partner of the 2016 United Airlines NYC Half

NEW YORK - Nov. 17, 2015 - PRLog -- New York, November 17, 2015 — LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation was named an Official Charity Partner of the 2016 United Airlines NYC Half, it was announced today by Carolyn Cronin president and CEO of LuMind RDS. The race will take place on Sunday, March 20, 2016.

“The opportunity to partner with the United Airlines NYC Half gives LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation the ability to raise funds and awareness for valuable Down syndrome cognition research, including unraveling the connections between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Cronin. “We look forward to having a dedicated team of runners take on the United Airlines NYC Half on behalf of our organization—training, preparing, and ultimately completing the 13.1-mile race for a cause that is both meaningful and close to each and every one of them.”

Over five million dollars was raised by more than 2,800 charity runners during the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half to help more than 100 nonprofit organizations support their missions and services. Approximately 120 official charity partners will be part of the 2016 United Airlines NYC Half.

LuMind RDS Runners is a vibrant community of dedicated parents, siblings, family members, and friends devoted to pushing physical limits in racing challenges to fund research on improving cognition in people with Down syndrome. The research they help to fund focuses on improving learning, memory, and sleep for people of all ages with Down syndrome enabling increased opportunities for independence at school and work. People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome, so LuMind RDS Runners “race for eXtraordinary,” especially during the month of March in honor of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21. LuMind RDS runners – and walkers - will be participating in events all month with the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon as a capstone event.

“We welcome LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation as an official charity partner of the 2016 United Airlines NYC Half,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “We are privileged to partner with approximately 120 official charity partners for this event, impacting thousands in need of support for so many significant causes. Our charity runners are an inspirational and integral part of this race and we applaud their efforts and the positive impact they each make.”

The United Airlines NYC Half features some of the most talented American and international professional athlete fields and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners.  Some 1,500 volunteers and thousands of spectators line the course in support of all participants. 19,454 finishers completed the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half from nearly all of the 50 states and more than 67 countries. For the first time ever, the NYRR Times Square Kids’ Run at the United Airlines NYC Half gave hundreds of kids the opportunity to participate in a race of their own as they completed a 1500-meter out-and-back course through the heart of New York City.

The 2016 United Airlines NYC Half will be broadcast live locally on WABC-TV, Channel 7 for the fifth consecutive year.

About New York Road Runners

Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

About LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation

LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation, formerly the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF) and Research Down Syndrome, is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, aimed at accelerating the development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, for individuals with Down syndrome. LuMind RDS Foundation is the leading source of private funding supporting research at major research centers, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego, and University of Arizona. Since its founding in 2004, LuMind RDS Foundation has committed more than $13 million to fund results-driven research programs that will benefit children and adults with Down syndrome, and has been instrumental in the initiation of clinical trials now under way. To learn more: www.LuMindRDS.org.