The Muscular Dystrophy Association of the Triangle Region in North Carolina will be holding the 2014 Triangle Muscle Walk at 12p.m. Sat., March 15 at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Durham, N.C. This will be the eleventh walk held by the Triangle Region branch of the MDA.  

What started as a small event with fourteen participants raising about $4,000 has grown to 600 participants fundraising for the goal of $98,000. The Triangle Region of MDA covers eighteen counties and has 1,200 registered individuals diagnosed with one of the 43 muscular diseases the region covered. 

The MDA helps not only those with muscular dystrophy but also individuals diagnosed with autoimmune and motoneuron diseases. 

Major sponsors of this year’s walk include NuMotion, Genzyme, The Oak Foundation, BodyBuilding.com, Pride Movement and Kohl’s. The Triangle Region also recognizes Lowe’s Home Improvement in Durham, N.C. as a sponsor for hosting the Muscle Walk.  

Health Care Service Coordinator and Walk Director Katharine Paulhamus has worked with the Triangle Region MDA for almost three years. This will be her third time directing the walk, and she said she has watched the number of participants double since her first year. Paulhamus attributes much of the walk’s success to the great teams that fundraise and the sponsors who help make the event possible. Along with directing the Muscle Walk, Paulhamus also manages the MDA clinics at the Duke University Medical Center and UNC Health Care and acts as a personal liaison for all families registered in the Triangle Region of MDA.

Paulhamus started as a volunteer for MDA but applied for a professional position and interviewed until she got one. Having a background in history and previously working as a museum curator, she said the reason for applying was mainly a desire to change careers but also attributes it to her love for the cause of the organization. During her time with MDA, Paulhamus said she has learned much about the organization and the diseases it covers.

 “Each of these diseases deals with how the brain communicates with the muscles and how the muscles are made up,” Paulhamus said. “Another misconception is the people who have these diseases are cognitively disabled, which is not the case. They are very intelligent people. The disability is simply wrapped up in the way the muscles work and the way the muscles develop.” 

All of the money raised from the walk goes directly to MDA to help with national research as well as providing services and programs for local families. Part of the funds raised go to MDA camp scholarships for children with these covered diseases to experience a week of unrestricted physical fun at an MDA sponsored camp in Winston-Salem. Funds are also directed to research being done in the Triangle. According to Paulhamus, Duke is working on new research for various diagnoses at this time and clinical trials and studies are being held at Duke and UNC.  

“We’re able to do a lot of this research in our own backyard because of the exceptional healthcare institutions we have right here,” Paulhamus said. 

A variety of people and teams participate in the Muscle Walk each year. Paulhamus says teams are organized into corporate, family and community divisions. The top fundraising team of the 2013 Muscle Walk was Kevin’s Cruisers. Paulhamus said by recruiting team members, talking to business contacts and inviting them to the Walk, Kevin’s Cruisers went from a team raising a few thousand dollars to one raising $20,000. 

The fraternity Kappa Alpha Order is a national partner with the MDA and recognizes the MDA as KA’s chosen philanthropy. The chapters of KA at N.C. State, UNC and Duke are registered for the walk this year. Duke’s chapter of KA joined the Muscle Walk three years ago and quickly raised thousands of dollars for the cause.

Funds for the 2014 Muscle Walk are currently at $32,103 and rising daily. To donate, visit www.mda.org and go to the “Find a Walk and Register” and find the link for the Triangle Muscle Walk. You can also register as a participant or create a team to walk and be a part of the event.