Triathlon fundraiser for Huntington’s research draws supporters to Vilano Beach

VILANO BEACH, Fla. – Vilano Beach was filled with much than conscionable those looking to soak up immoderate prima Saturday morning. The fashionable St. Johns County formation was besides big to Paula’s Megaman Challange, a triathlon fundraiser benefitting the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

“Paula is my aunt and she has Huntington’s disease,” said Charles McMillan, who participated successful the lawsuit participant. “Shelby, her girl -- my relative -- got unneurotic with the Huntington’s Association and planned this large walk, run, paddleboard, aquatics to payment Huntington Society research.”

Aside from the “Ironman” triathlon, participants could besides instrumentality connected swimming, paddle-boarding and moving challenges passim the morning. There was nary registration fee, but donations were collected with a extremity of $5,000. An organizer for the lawsuit told News4Jax astir 35 radical registered.

“Being retired present seeing the household support, seeing what we tin bash connected a idiosyncratic level for those we emotion is awesome to see,” McMillan said.

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The Huntington’s Disease Society of America describes “HD” arsenic a encephalon illness that is passed down successful families from procreation to generation. The disease causes deterioration successful a person’s physical, intelligence and affectional abilities. Symptoms usually look during adulthood but tin hap successful children and young adults.

“It’s described arsenic being akin to ALS, besides Parkinson’s,” explained Jaime Latin, president of the Florida Chapter for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. “My grandma and my begetter some person passed distant from Huntington’s Disease. My aunt presently battles the illness astatine 64 years old. And I got tested astir 12 years agone and I’m gene-positive, truthful that means eventually, without a cure, 1 time I volition make the symptoms.”

Latin said if you’d similar to enactment the cause, donations tin beryllium made astatine hdsa.org.

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