Across the country, nonprofit organizations host fun runs and walks to raise awareness about and funds for neurologic disorders like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. The outdoor events bring patients and their families together with others to bond and provide support.

It was a desire to spread awareness and create camaraderie that inspired Shirley Kessel, executive director of Miles for Migraine, a patient organization in Philadelphia, to host the group's first walk/run fundraiser, which drew 40 people in 2013. Last year, 600 people participated.

Miles for Migraine now hosts walk, run, and "just relax" events in 18 cities, from Philadelphia to Phoenix, and has raised $193,000 to date for fellowship programs that train headache specialists. The just-relax events feature tents for mindfulness activities, such as yoga therapy or coloring, for those who don't feel up to walking or running. (This year's Philadelphia event is on Saturday, October 5.)

Kessel, who experiences migraines along with two of her three daughters, is energized by the organization's success and works hard to keep the walks engaging. For example, race day programs include a Map the Migraine scavenger hunt for kids and adults. "There's a lot of doom and gloom with migraine, so we make our events fun," says Kessel.

Fun is exactly how Debbie Fragner of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, would describe the Oso Fit 5K Fun Run in Mission Viejo, CA. Established in 2017, the event is co-sponsored by the city of Mission Viejo and the Children's Cerebral Palsy Movement (CCPM), which was founded by Fragner after her daughter Maddie, now 12, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The fun run encourages people of all abilities to get outside and get moving. "We pair members of the Capistrano Valley High School boys' track team with mobility-challenged kids," says Fragner. "The buddies walk with the entrants or push their wheelchairs along the flat route." Four orthopedic surgeons accompany racers around the course too.

For children like Jayden Hsueh, the run is a singular experience. On most weekends, Jayden stays indoors and watches Mickey Mouse on his laptop, says his father, Yu-Chen. The fun run is an opportunity to be more active and mingle with other kids with cerebral palsy. When Jayden's sister and some friends pushed his wheelchair over the finish line, he was ecstatic, his father says. "He's nonverbal, but he was shrieking like he does at Mickey Mouse. These events promote awareness and an improved quality of life for kids with cerebral palsy and their families."

Fragner agrees. "Kids who are wheelchair-bound are often told they could never do this kind of thing," she says. "Now they cross the finish line and get a medal, and we see their elation."

So far, the CCPM fun runs have raised enough money to finance free events for families, including a lavish Dare to Dream Christmas Extravaganza and an outdoor Easter celebration with a petting zoo and a magnetic egg hunt.

Next year, in addition to the Mission Viejo Fun Run scheduled for Saturday, February 29, Fragner hopes to take her show on the road with a Ride Across America, with stops in 13 cities. The trip will be led by an adult with cerebral palsy riding a mobility scooter followed by an RV plastered with information about cerebral palsy to raise awareness.

Find a Run/Walk Near You

Fox Trot 5K Run/Walk. Associated with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Fox Trot raises funds for Parkinson's research and takes place in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. 

MDA Muscle Walk. This event in more than 150 towns across the United States supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association. 

MG Walk. Organized by the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, the walk is held in more than 20 locations.

Miles for Migraine. This nonprofit group aims to improve the lives of people with migraine and their families through fun walk/run events, ranging from a two-mile walk to 5K and 10K races in cities nationwide.

Oso Fit 5K Fun Run. The event includes shorter-distance (quarter- and half-mile) children's runs and is sponsored by the city of Mission Viejo, CA, as well as the Children's Cerebral Palsy Movement and other nonprofit groups. 

Walk to Defeat ALS. Organizers say this walk, held in every state, is the best way to unite and raise money for those living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Walk to End Epilepsy. What started as a walk on the National Mall in Washington, DC, coordinated by the Epilepsy Foundation, has expanded to include walks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, and in 20 other cities.

Walk MS. Held in hundreds of locations throughout the United States, the event helps find and fund a cure for multiple sclerosis. 

6 Steps to Participating in Your First Run/Walk

1. Choose a cause close to your heart. To find an event in your area, type the name of the neurologic condition you want to support and the words "fun run" into a search engine.
2. Look for mobility-friendly routes. "Our course is flat, so parents can stand and watch easily from the sidelines," says Debbie Fragner, founder of the Children's Cerebral Palsy Movement, which hosts a 5K fun run in Mission Viejo, CA. "I've seen reverse walkers, conventional wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and adaptive bikes."
3. Form or join a team and give it a catchy name. Set fundraising goals (many organizations have templates for personal donation pages with photos) and get matching T-shirts. Hold events of any size to raise money. Every dollar counts, and so does every logged hour of awareness for a disease many people don't understand.
4. Attract attention. Make some noise as a runner, walker, volunteer, or bystander. Ring cowbells or wear bright costumes. Get the name of the organization out there. "I completed my first 5K at the Philly Miles for Migraine race two years ago," says Katie Golden of Santa Monica, CA, who has chronic migraine. "I've been to at least 10 races in the past three years. We have a booth to hand out helpful information, and the best part is getting crazy dressed up in purple!"
5. Make friends. "It's so cool to see the same people at different events," says Yu-Chen Hsueh, whose 9-year-old son, Jayden, has cerebral palsy and has participated in two fun walks. "We compare notes on new wheelchairs and mobility vans."
6. Embrace the love. "My migraines started at age 15. If run/walks existed then, I absolutely would have felt less alone and more validated," says Michele Vargas of Dallas, who has been a patient advocate at Miles for Migraine races. "Meeting others with the same disease encourages me to press on. Industry sponsors also provide information about new treatments and devices. Going to a race event makes me feel empowered, supported, and loved."