WHEN:    Saturday, June 6, 2009 – 8:00 pm Start Time Opening Ceremony 7:45 pm 

PURPOSE:    Two-mile remembrance walk/run for Jennifer L. Wells, Charlottesville native and 4th year UVA student who died September 10, 2006 from meningococcal meningitis.  This event will be both a fun celebration of Jennifer’s life and an educational event to promote meningitis awareness and prevention. All proceeds will go to the Children’s Hospital and Research Institute at Oakland for continued meningitis research.   (See below for more details.)

WHERE:     Monticello High School Track, 1400 Independence Way, Charlottesville, Virginia

ELIGIBILITY:    Open to All Ages!   (Sorry, no pets allowed.)

AWARDS:     Great prizes for overall and age group winners!  In
addition, all who register will be entered in drawing for numerous prizes.  Must be present to win.  Everyone who registers will receive an event t-shirt.  Be a sponsor - raise $25 or more and win a prize.

Registration Fee:     $15 for adults, $10 for youth ages 10 and under, postmarked or delivered by May 31 to Ragged Mountain Running Shop.  After May 31 and on race day the fee will be $20 for adults, $15 for youth ages 10 and under.  All proceeds of the event will go to Children’s Hospital and Research Institute at Oakland (CHORI) – a non-profit organization, for B-strain meningitis vaccination research (see more details below).

Who was Jennifer Leigh Wells?  Jennifer Leigh Wells was born September 3, 1985 and grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia.  She graduated from Monticello High School in 2003 and was a fourth year student on the Dean’s List, pursuing a degree in Psychology at the University of Virginia at the time of her death September 10, 2006 due to meningococcal meningitis (group-B).  She was a gentle and kind person who loved all creatures, particularly horses, and was an avid rider competing and winning numerous state and national level saddle bred competitions.  She volunteered her time at the SPCA, at an after school program at Cale Elementary school, and was an inspiration to her friends and family.  Her gentle demeanor and beautiful smile positively affected everyone who met her and she will be forever loved and missed! 

What is Meningitis? Meningococcal Meningitis is a very serious and sometimes fatal disease that most often strikes pre-adolescents, adolescents and young adults.  The disease strikes quickly, has devastating complications including hearing loss, brain damage, limb amputations and in some cases, death.  The disease is spread through respiratory droplets and direct contact with someone who is infected (coughing, sneezing, kissing, sharing utensils, etc.).  There are five types of bacteria responsible for meningococcal disease in the U.S.  The meningitis vaccination currently available in the U.S. significantly reduces one’s risk against contracting four of the five strains of the disease.  The one bacterial strain that is not covered by the vaccine is called the B-strain or B-group and it is the deadliest.  Academic researchers at Children’s Hospital and Research Institute of Oakland (CHORI) in Oakland, California, are conducting innovative research on developing a B-group meningitis vaccination.  All proceeds of the event will go towards research in the Moe Lab at CHORI for further B-group meningitis vaccination research.  CHORI is a non-profit organization.

 Layman description of current research being conducted in Dr. Greg Moe’s laboratory at CHORI:  Neisseria meningitides are bacteria that are a major cause of meningitis and infections of the blood in developed countries. One particular group, group B, are encapsulated in a sugar called polysialic acid. Humans make the same sugar, which is displayed on the surface of particular cells and plays a very important role in many cellular processes. Since the sugar is a normal component of the human body, the human immune system does not recognize the bacteria coated in the sugar as being foreign. Therefore, group B bacteria are able to evade immune responses that would normally prevent the bacteria from causing disease. We discovered, however, that group B bacteria make a small amount of a modified form of the capsular sugar called de-N-acetyl sialic acid. Recently, the Moe Lab developed several candidate vaccines that are based on de-N-acetyl sialic acid and showed that they can elicit protective antibodies. They are now working on optimizing the vaccine for pre-clinical testing in humans.

Members of Jennifer’s family with Dr. Greg Moe at CHORI, October, 2007

The Moe Lab and Granoff Lab Groups at CHORI, 2008

To learn more about Meningitis:  National Meningitis Association   www.nmaus.org      

To learn more about the Children’s Hospital and Research Institute of Oakland and Dr. Greg Moe

www.chori.org   http://www.chori.org/Principal_Investigators/Moe_Gregory_R/moe_overview.html

 Still have questions about the event?  Call Ragged Mountain Running Shop at 293-3367. 

 http://www.raggedmountainrunning.com/

Can’t make the event?  Please consider making a donation instead.  Make checks payable to “The JLW Walk/Run for Meningitis Research” and drop off or mail to the Ragged Mountain Running Shop, 3 Elliewood Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903.