Blazer Bolt to raise funds for brain cancer

The neuro-oncology units at UAB and Children’s of Alabama will benefit from a run in downtown Homewood this month.

The Blazer Bolt for Brain Cancer will be Saturday, Oct. 19, with runs of several distances. The 5K will start at 8 a.m. at the intersection of 18th Street South and Oxmoor Road, followed by a 1-mile fun run at 9 a.m. Brain cancer survivors will participate in a 200-foot walk at 9:20 a.m., starting at the intersection of 18th Street South and Reese Street.

The finish line for all three events will be in front of the Trak Shak on 18th Street.

Awards will be presented to the overall male and female winners, as well as the top male and female finisher in age groups, from age 7-9 to 70+.

The proceeds of the Blazer Bolt support the UAB Brain Tumor Tissue Bank Bio-Repository, which stores specimens from patients who have undergone brain tumor surgery at UAB and Children’s for treatment research. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000 to support the purchase of an Illumina NextSeq 550 gene sequencer, which will be used in genetic research and costs $250,000.

Last year’s run had over 900 participants.

Through Oct. 18, registration is $30 for the 5K; $20 for the fun run; and $30 for the sleep-in option, which allows people to donate without participating in the run. There is no charge for the survivor walk. Prices will increase the day of the race, when registration closes at 7:30 a.m.

Participants must register by Oct. 2 to guarantee a T-shirt. Go to blazerbolt.com or runsignup.com to register.