ALTON - The 7th Annual Miles for Meso 5K Run & Fun Run on Saturday in Downtown Alton drew a large crowd and also garnered $28,700 and still counting to provide research and awareness for the disease.
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The event takes place every September presented by Simmons Hanly Conroy and coordinated by the Metro Tri Club.
“This was the best year yet for the Alton Miles for Meso race,” said John Simmons, Chairman of Simmons Hanly Conroy, the national mesothelioma law firm that hosts the Alton race. “We had close to 1,000 people on site either running or walking, volunteering or fighting back in their own way against this terrible, preventative disease.”
Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos, a toxic substance that has not been completely banned in the United States. The dangers associated with asbestos exposure were known as early as the 1930s. Hosting events like the Miles for Meso helps spread awareness to others that asbestos exposure is not a thing of the past and affects people in our local communities.
“The Alton community should be proud of this event,” said Race Director Mike Wever, president of the Metro Tri Club, a local triathlon club. “I’ve organized races for many years, and it is impressive that a town of this size is able to draw such a large crowd.”
“Simmons Hanly Conroy is honored by the overwhelming support the race has received locally, as well as from the national mesothelioma community,” Simmons said. “Without the support of our employees, our volunteers, our sponsors and so many other people, the race could not be what it is today.”
Other donations are still coming in and a total will be calculated within a few weeks. Several teams took place in honor/memory of local residents from Alton, Godfrey, East Alton and St. Charles, Mo., who are victims of mesothelioma. All proceeds from the event are donated to mesothelioma research and awareness.
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