Team PHenomenal Hope Gears Up for 6th Annual 5K Fundraiser

As they have for the past five years, members of the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community are preparing to participate in PHenomenal Hope 5K, an event established to raise disease awareness and research funds for Team PHenomenal Hope.

Held this year on April 27, the flat-course event will begin and end at the Heinz Field Boat Launch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, winding along the North Shore Riverfront Trail. It concludes with an award ceremony. Awards will be divided according to age and gender categories. Children also may participate in the event.

Focused on ultimately finding a PH cure and raising disease awareness, the 5K run, one-mile walk event will include a 50/50 raffle, and family-friendly activities like balloon artistry and face painting.

“We strive to make this event as exciting as possible for our participants, while educating them on pulmonary hypertension,” Kayla Frattini, race director, said in a press release.

“The response from our community has been amazing. While I may be the one organizing this event, it is the support of our community that truly makes this event such a success. Together, we can all make a positive change for those living with pulmonary hypertension. I am so excited to see what we will accomplish in 2019,” Frattini added.

The most successful yet, last year’s event raised more than $37,000 for Team PHenomenal Hope’s PHenomenal Impact Fund to support PH research. Since its establishment, the event has raised some $143,000.

The three-year-old PHenomenal Impact Fund for Global PH Research supports international grants for medical research that seek to improve  treatments or find a cure for PH. Later this spring, it will award a $50,000 grant.

The non-profit Team PHenomenal Hope seeks to raise PH awareness, fund medical research into possible cures or treatments, and to provide valuable resources to patients and caregivers. The organization began in 2012 as a fundraising cycling team.

“We promote using endurance sports both to educate people about PH — a progressive, terminal condition — and the need for a cure, as well as to inspire others to rally to this cause,” said Patricia George, pulmonologist, Team PHenomenal Hope founder, and one of the original four bicyclists.

This year, the 5K fundraiser event also will include the presence of a post-transplant “PH phighter.”

“In 2019, we are excited to welcome a post-transplant, PH phighter to speak to our participants and bring to life just what we are fighting for with this event. It is definitely an exciting time for our organization,” Frattini concluded.

Discounted registration for the event closes at midnight, April 23. It’s free for patients. Same-day, non-patient registration is $35. To register, visit this site; and go here for more information. To volunteer, contact race director Kayla Frattini at [email protected]. On race day, a limited number of event T-shirts will be available.