Olympic star, U.S. Army Camp to participate in 10 Mile Heroes Run

NOVI, MICHIGAN – On May 2 Catholic Central in Novi will host the 2nd annual Live Like Andi Run, Walk + Fun Run (LLA), to help find a cure for a rare form of cancer – Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC).
   The event is held in honor of Andi O’Connell (pictured left with her husband, Michael) who died in July 2007 at the age of 40, ending a 21-year battle with ACC, a rare cancer typically originating in the salivary glands and often spreading to the brain and lungs. In addition to her family and friends, an Olympic athlete and soldiers stationed in Baghdad will be a part of this annual event.
   Michigan resident and Olympic star Sheila Taormina is an Olympic champion in one sport, World champion in another sport, and the World Cup standings leader in a third sport. When she competed in the 2008 Games in Beijing, Taormina became the first woman to ever qualify and compete in three different sports in three Olympic Games.
   She will give a pep talk before the race, words of motivation throughout the run/walk and pass out prizes after the event.
  “It’s an honor to be part of an event with a specific mission to raise money for an ACC cancer cure,” says Taormina, “It was a revelation to find out that some cancers just don’t get any research funding and as a result are considered orphan cancers."
   When she’s not training, Taormina is a motivational speaker for corporations, athletes, students and members of the military. Learn more about her at http://www.sheilat.com
   Also this year, U.S. service heroes stationed at U.S Army Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq will participate in the LLA Heroes Run the same day the event is taking place in Michigan, just a few hours earlier.
  “At 0700 hours in Baghdad, it will be midnight in Michigan. Army service men and women will be running the 10 mile “Who’s Your Hero” run around “Z-lake” on Camp Liberty. There will be both three man teams and individual runners,” says Phillip J. Smith , Lt Colonel, U.S. Army.
   The Live Like Andi Run, Walk + Fun Run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Catholic Central High School, 27225 Wixom Road south of Grand River in Novi. Registration begins at 8 a.m. However, the 10 mile Heroes Run begins at 8:00 a.m. and registration for that event begins at 7 a.m.
  In addition to the Fashion Walk, other events include the “Heroes”-10 Miler, 5K Run and 5K Walk, 10K Run, and 1 Mile Fun Run for kids. The fundraising event is sponsored by the Live Like Andi Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization formed to raise money for research to discover a cure for ACC and to support families of individuals with ACC. (http://www.livelikeandi.org)
   Proceeds from the last Live Like Andi event were used to set up scholarships in Andrea’s memory at Catholic Central Novi, South Lyon High, Novi HS and for her alma mater, Richmond HS in Richmond, Indiana. The scholarships recognize students who display courage and spirit to overcome obstacles as Andi did. The Live Like Andi Foundation proceeds also went to specific research efforts including ACC Profiling Specimens for New Drug Testing at the University of Virginia and ACC Mouse Models from Tissue donated by Andi O’Connell in Sweden.
   For more information about the events and to download registration forms, make a donation or to sign up to be a fundraiser visit http://www.livelikeandi.org

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