D.O. DASH TO RAISE FUNDS FOR COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Osteopathic medical students at the University of North Texas Health Science Center are raising money for Cook Children’s Health Care System with the third annual D.O. Dash. The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at the intersection of Clifton and West 7th Street in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. The D.O. Dash features a timed 5K race for adults, beginning at 9 a.m., and a 1K fun run for children, beginning at 10 a.m. Awards will be given for the top finishers in the 5K.
Following the race, student groups are holding a free health fair to educate the public about childhood obesity. Parents can learn more about obesity prevention, diet and exercise. In addition, members of the American Medical Association/Texas Medical Association Medical Student Section will distribute coloring books, Spanish health literature and 100 bicycle helmets to children.
The helmets are provided by the Hard Hats for Little Heads program, which began this year at the Health Science Center through a $500 AMA Policy Promotion Grant. Reports show that wearing a helmet while riding a bike can reduce the chance of head injury by 85 percent, but only about 25 percent of riders wear them. Hard Hats for Little Heads is a helmet donation program set up by the Texas Medical Association in 1995, using funds donated by Prudential Financial and physicians and their families. Participating organizations purchase inexpensive, Snell/ANSI-approved helmets for children and receive a matching donation, of up to 50 free helmets, from the Texas Medical Association.
To register for the D.O. Dash, go to http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1167496. Cost for pre-registrants is $15 for the 5K and $5 for the 1K fun run. Participants may also register the morning of the race in Parking Lot D, on Clifton Street, just north of the UNTHSC parking garage. Cost on race day is $20 for the 5K and $7 for the 1K fun run.
D.O.s —doctors of osteopathic medicine—are physicians licensed to practice the full spectrum of health care. They perform surgery, deliver babies and prescribe medication in hospitals and clinics across the country. What separates them from traditional M.D.s is their holistic approach to medical treatment, which helps patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that prevent illness and uses manipulative techniques that encourage the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
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Contact: Becky Purvis, bpurvis@hsc.unt.edu, 817-735-5152, pager: 817-216-0345 or 8172160345@archwireless.net
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