Fundraiser set for eye disease cure

A fundraiser 5K fun-run/walk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. starting at the Weiser High School. All of the proceeds will be donated to help find a cure for blindness causing disease.

 The world can truly be cruel sometimes. Some people are sadly given rough hands in life with things such as disease, but by participating in this fun run fundraiser, you might be able to make it a little fairer.

 One of our core senses and most important is our sense of sight. Without it, there are so many experiences that would be taken away from us. Sadly, however, some people lose that gift and go blind.

 One disease that causes this is the hereditary disease called Choroideremia. One family in Weiser has been forced to deal with its effects.

 The Nordgren family has had many family members afflicted with this condition, and their youngest son, Carter Nordgren, inherited the disease and will someday be completely blind, much like his grandfather.

 The family, wanting to not only raise awareness for the disease, but also wanting to raise funds to help research to find a cure for it, decided to host a fun run fundraiser.

 The run will start at the high school, and it will run along Indianhead Road and past the golf course, then turn onto Valley View Drive. Then it will turn left onto McGinnis and then take another left to Ali Lane before heading back and ending at the high school.

 The goal of this fun run was at first low, but now, with the generosity of Weiser, the goal has been raised to the large sum of $10,000.  

 All of that money will then go towards the Chorioderemia Research Foundation, which is an organization bent on finding the cure for this disease. The CEO, who has the disease himself, makes sure all proceeds go straight into researching and finding a cure.

 To join the race, you need to donate $25 for one person or $100 for a family of 4 or more. To donate the money, use the QR codes in the flyer for the event.

 Most people would let this disease get them down, but Carter, the member of the family afflicted with the sickness, doesn’t let it stop him.

 “Everyone might think that this is a terrible thing that is happening to me and it is. But I have learned that it is just something I have to deal with so I am,” Nordgren said.

 This is only the first fundraiser the Nordgrens are doing, and hopefully, the ones in the future can be just as successful as this one is shaping up to be.