CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to fundraise on behalf of those with infertility, the Kevin J. Lederer Life Foundation is hosting the inaugural "Run for Life" 5K on Sunday, September 20th. Funds raised will go towards Life Grants, a program offered to couples residing in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana who are pursuing treatment in Illinois and are seeking to defray the costs of adoption or fertility treatment.
According to RESOLVE, there are 546,825 women in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana who have experienced physical difficulty in getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to live birth. For one in eight couples experiencing infertility, the diagnosis can be emotionally, physically and financially overwhelming. Through Life Grants, the Life Foundation seeks to help individuals and couples achieve parenthood.
The mission of the Kevin J. Lederer Life Foundation is to promote health and alleviate the mental and physical distress of persons and couples diagnosed with infertility through education and financial assistance. The foundation's board is comprised of doctors from multiple fertility centers including Fertility Centers of Illinois, Advanced Reproductive Center, Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Medicine Institute and IVF1.
Drs. Eve Feinberg and Jenny Hirshfeld-Cytron, founders of the Life Foundation and physicians at Fertility Centers of Illinois, hope the foundation can foster a strong local infertility community.
"Every patient needs support in some way, either emotionally, physically, and/or financially," says Dr. Feinberg. "Through educational resources and financial support we aim to give hope to everyone in the local infertility community."
Piper Mead, a current infertility patient of Dr. Feinberg's, will be attending the "Run for Life" 5K to connect with the local infertility community and rally support for the cause. Piper and her wife Caroline are currently in treatment to conceive a second child.
"Thanks to the help of fertility doctors, we went through treatment and were given the biggest blessing of our lives," says Piper. "We are so grateful to be mothers and want to honor how far we have come, and where we hope to be in the future."
The "Run for Life" 5K will be held in the beautiful Glenview forest preserve trails. In addition to the 5K race and the Kids Dash, there will be children's entertainment.
Race Info:
Run for Life 5K
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Race Starts: 8:00 a.m. 5K, 8:50 a.m. 100-meter Kids Dash
Location: Blue Star Memorial Woods, 701 E. Lake Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025
Registration: Register online or the morning of the race.
Race Inquiries: carpediemraces@yahoo.com
The Life Foundation was created to honor the legacy of Dr. Kevin J. Lederer and further his life mission of helping patients overcome infertility. Dr. Lederer, a well-respected and beloved physician who specialized in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, helped thousands become parents during his career.
The "Run for Life" 5K is sponsored by Good Start Genetics, Natera, EMD Serono, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Healy's Pharmacy, Lake Anesthesia Associates, Walgreens, Avion Pharmaceuticals, Braun Pharmacare, CAPEXMD, Celmatix, Donor Egg Bank USA, Eastern Healing, Walk of Hope and The Women's Group of Northwestern.
To learn more about the Life Foundation and the "Run for Life" 5K, please visit www.lifefindsaway.org.
About The Kevin J. Lederer Life Foundation:
The Kevin J. Lederer for Life Foundation ("Life Foundation") is a Chicago-based non-profit founded in 2014 to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Kevin Lederer, a well-respected and beloved physician who specialized in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The Life Foundation aims to promote health and alleviate the mental and physical distress of persons and couples diagnosed with infertility by hosting educational events and providing financial assistance through the Life Grants program. To learn more visit www.lifefindsaway.org