Benefitting FARA and the Sam Hopper Memorial Fund
FARA
Alison Price of Wake Forest has spent much of her teenage years trying to live a normal life, despite battling Friedreich’s Ataxia. Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a debilitating, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder, with no cure and no effective treatments. About one in 50,000 people in the United States have Friedreich's Ataxia.
The Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (CureFA.org) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to curing this rare neuro-muscular disorder. A portion of the money raised through the Superhero run will go to FARA to support research through funding competitive grants
Alison's parents, Matt and Wendi Price, rely on this event to help raise awareness about FA and to provide research dollars to FARA so that an effective treatment will be found to help Alison recover.
Donate directly to CureFA.org on Alison's page.
SAM HOPPER MEMORIAL FUND
The Superhero run is dedicated to the memory of Sam Hopper. Sam lived in Raleigh for six short years and all who knew him loved him. He earned his wings in October 2014, but his memory lives on. Sam's passing was very unexpected and there are many days that his family still finds it difficult to believe he won't be greeting them with a smile and hug when they wake the next morning. In an effort to continue sharing Sam's love, his family founded the Sam Hopper Memorial Fund.![](https://app.racereach.com/files/uploads/1523827725_samhopper_smiling_in_red_shirt.jpg)
Myocarditis took Sam from his family. Myocarditis is a disease marked by inflammation and damage of the heart muscle, and usually attacks otherwise healthy people. It is believed that 5 to 20% of all cases of sudden death in young adults are due to myocarditis.
Jennifer and Rob Hopper, Sam's parents, designate some of the funds to the Myocarditis Foundation in Sam's honor. The family hopes that through funding research, no other families will have to go through what they have.
Sam was a huge superhero fan and we encourage everyone to bring out their inner superhero and wear your favorite superhero costume.