Run For River to help Dora child, family

Published 1:54 pm Wednesday, February 18, 2015

A local builder has offered to help a Dora family build a house that would be accessible to their special-needs son, but the family needs help to raise the funds.

The second annual Run For River, a fund-raising 5K run and one-mile fun run, is set for April 25, 9 a.m. at Bevill State Community College in Sumiton.

River Thomas is the 3-year-old son of Matt and April Thomas.

He was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy at eight months old, as well as cortical vision impairment and periventricular luekomalacia. River had grade four bilateral brain bleeds in utero.

He can not sit up, hold his head up on his own, walk, crawl or talk. He requires care around the clock, as well as physical therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy and occupational therapy.

Also needed for his care are medical equipment and numerous daily medications.

The cost to participate in the 5K is $20; the sleep in or virtual run option is also $20.

The cost to take part in the fun run at 10 a.m. is $15.

Registration for children up to age 13 is $10.

Participants must register by April 1 in order to be guaranteed the correct size of Run for River T-shirt.

Serious athletes are welcome to participate, but race bibs or result sheets will not be provided.

To learn more, visit www.facebook.com/raisingriver.