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Walking for a Cause

Muscular Dystrophy can rob children of their future and emotionally and financially drain their parents. In Scranton Sunday morning, a handful of committed peop...
scr muscle walk

Muscular Dystrophy can rob children of their future and emotionally and financially drain their parents.

In Scranton Sunday morning, a handful of committed people did their part to stand up to MD, exercising and raising money for families of children who lose their own ability to exercise over time.

Roughly 100 people gathered at the University of Scranton`s Byron Center, registering, stretching, then began what they call the Muscle Walk. They walked for children with Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that slowly takes away children's ability to use their own muscles.

At the start of the 10 lap stroll walkers chanted the first name of four-year-old Noah Sienkiewicz.

Noah has MD.

“For him, by the age of eight or nine, he'll be in a wheelchair full time. His muscles will stop working. It's a progressive disease that will affect his heart and lungs,” said Noah’s mom, Amy Sienkiewicz.

This is the second year of the walk.

Sixteen teams signed up to walk 10 laps and raised more than $12,000.

It helps the local MD chapter make it easier for children with the disease to get flu shots and medical equipment.

“We also have an expense-free summer camp for the kids. It`s a week long, and a lot of the proceeds from the event today are going towards that,” said Muscle Walk Director Heather Schield.

To Amy Sienkiewicz, the slow walk is part of a fast race against the clock, to help thousands of children like Noah who are running out of time.

“It’s very important for us to raise money and funds to find cures and do all this research,” said Amy Sienkiewicz.

Every single walker circled the track 10 times. Then those who know the cause so well went outside to release balloons in memory of children who died from MD.

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