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BOSTON POTS WALK & 5K
October 19, 2024
Hormel Stadium
Medford, MA
Join us for the 2024 Boston POTS Walk & 5K, Saturday, October 19, 2024 at Hormel Stadium in Medford, MA. All funds raised during this event will support Dysautonomia International's POTS Research Fund, which has funded millions of dollars in innovative POTS research grants since 2013.
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There will be a free yoga class during the event for anyone that does not want to walk or run. If you would like to participate, please bring a thick towel or yoga mat.
If you have friends who would like to join the event who haven't registered yet, we welcome same day registrations, but we won't have t-shirts for same day registrants.
HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THE BOSTON POTS WALK & 5K?
2. Create or join a fundraising team after registering for the walk.
3. Sponsor the walk.
4. Donate to the walk without registering.
IN-PERSON WALK
The in-person Boston POTS Walk & 5K will be relocating to the track at Hormel Stadium in Medford, Massachusetts on Saturday, October 19th, 2024. You can run, walk, wheelchair roll, or come out to show your support for the cause. No running or walking required! We’ll have many fun activities for everyone, so you’ll have a great time no matter how you want to participate. In-person registration also includes a complimentary t-shirt. Register before 11:59 PM October 4th to guarantee a shirt! Same day registrations are welcome, but will not include a t-shirt. This will be a casual 5k and fun run and we will not be chip timing the race.
Registration for our in-person event also includes the option to create a personal fundraising page during registration. You can also create a team page or join a friend's team. Please note that you have to create a personal fundraiser during registration to be able to create or join a team. Once you've customized your fundraiser, ask your friends and family to donate to support POTS research.
See more details about what to expect at the in-person event under "In-Person Event Details" below.
HOW TO GET A POTS WALK T-SHIRT:
This year's shirt will be a white long sleeve, soft, poly blend.
1) Register at the $40 virtual or in person registration level by 11:59 PM on October 4th to guarantee a shirt.
2) Sponsor the POTS Walk at the $250 level or above before 11:59 PM October 1st to guarantee shirts. Sponsors can also get their family name, team name, or business name on the back of the t-shirts, along with many other perks!
Please note, we can only ship shirts to addresses in the continental US.
VIRTUAL EVENT
Can't attend in person? You can participate in the Boston POTS Walk & 5K virtually. You will have the option to create a personal fundraising page, create a team, or join a friend's team during the registration process. Please note that you have to create a personal fundraiser during registration to be able to create or join a team. Once you've customized your fundraiser, ask your friends and family to donate to support POTS research. Virtual participants are eligible for fun prizes!
What virtual participation looks like is up to you: do you want to celebrate by making a donation, organizing a small group walk on the same day with your friends and family, walking 5 minutes every day in October or by dressing up in your favorite turquoise outfit to virtually cheer on the racers? There is nothing you have to do to be a virtual participant aside from registering.
Virtual registrants at the $40 level who register before 11:59 PM October 4th and provide a shipping address within the continental US will receive a complimentary t-shirt! Please note that shirts for virtual participants will be mailed out AFTER the walk. Shipping t-shirts outside of the continental US is cost-prohibitive, so we cannot offer t-shirt shipping outside of the continental US.
IN-PERSON WALK DETAILS
LOCATION
The event will take place on the track at Hormel Stadium, 90 Locust Street, Medford, MA 02155. The event is accessible by T using the Wellington station or by car with plenty of free parking available. The parking lot off of Freedom Way between the stadium and LaConte Ice Rink is the most convenient place to park. The walk and 5K course will be along the track inside the stadium. View the Event Map.
CHECK IN
Registration opens at 9:30 AM. The event kickoff will start at 11:00 AM. We suggest you come early (anytime after 9:30 AM) to pick-up your goodie bag, t-shirt, and bib at the registration desk, and to avoid any wait. If you have friends who would like to join the event who haven't registered yet, we welcome same day registrations at the event, but please note we will not have a t-shirt available for same day registrants.
If you arrive early you can:
- visit our Dysautonomia International info booth,
- take part in our pre-event group stretch,
- grab some salty snacks for the course,
- peruse and bid on the great items at our silent auction, and
- mingle and share information at our “patient meet-up" area.
WEATHER POLICY
The event is rain or shine, unless conditions are unsafe (lightening, heavy winds). We will post cancellation/postponement notices at potswalk.org/boston if necessary.
AWARDS CEREMONY
The awards ceremony will be held after the walk, at roughly 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM.
SILENT AUCTION
Silent auction items include a variety of items from local organizations and all kinds of great, and often turquoise, Dysautonomia International swag! Winners of the silent auction will be announced during the award ceremony. You must be on-site to collect your item. Would you like to donate a gift basket or gift card for the silent auction? Contact us at 631-202-1720 or events@dysautonomiainternational.org.
REFRESHMENTS
Salty snacks and water will be provided, but we strongly suggest you bring a filled water bottle too. We will have light pre-packaged refreshments for sale. There will be some seating, but we encourage participants to bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket to sit on. Bringing a picnic blanket is much easier than dragging a chair around a big field, plus you can lay down on a blanket.
PARKING & BATHROOMS
Parking is available at Hormel Stadium and at the school next door (see map). Bathrooms will be available inside the stadium. The ADA accessible entrance to the bathrooms is on the external side of the stadium. Accessing the bathrooms from within the stadium requires the ability to maneuver a flight of stairs.
COVID-19 POLICY
Please help us protect the health of POTS patients, caregivers, volunteers and other guests. If you or someone you have been exposed to has recently had COVID-19, or you have unexplained symptoms suggestive of an infection (cough, fever, chills, etc.), please stay home. Masks are encouraged but not required for this outdoor event. The event is in a large open field, so there is plenty of space to spread out while still enjoying the festivities.
PHOTOS
We'd love to see photos of you or your team members running, walking, wheelchair rolling, or raising awareness from home! Email us your POTS Walk photos and we may feature your photos on Dysautonomia International's social media channels.
VOLUNTEERS
Want to volunteer for this event? Please reach out to Mary Artacho (maryjartacho@gmail.com), Lisa Parker (lparker329@gmail.com) or Charlotte Florez (cflorez@dysautonomiainternational.org). Further volunteer position details will be emailed out a week prior to the start of the event. Please note that specific positions have been designated as low-movement to accommodate various levels of abilities. There will be two virtual volunteer trainings scheduled (date and time TBA). It’s highly encouraged to attend one of the virtual trainings prior to the day of the POTS Walk & 5K. We can make accommodations for people based upon individual ability/availability.
POP UP TENTS
We are in need of pop-up tents to use out on the field, to make sure we have enough shade for our guests. Please let us know if you own a pop-up tent that you'd be willing to let us borrow for the day. Events@dysautonomiainternational.org
SPONSOR THE WALK
Your family, business or organization can show your support for the POTS community by becoming a Boston POTS Walk & 5K sponsor. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about the sponsorships (events@dysautonomiainternational.org or 631-202-1720).
Sponsorship payment and logos are due by 11:59pm October 1st to guarantee the above perks. Dysautonomia International reserves the right to reject sponsorship offers that aren't the right fit for our organization.
PRIZES
Individuals who register for the 2024 Boston POTS Walk & 5K are eligible for the prizes below! Prize winners will be announced at Hormel Stadium during the awards ceremony following the race on October 19th.
PRIZES FOR IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS
Medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in the adult (18 and up) and kids (17 and under) categories. We'll also have a prize for the best "Make Noise For Turquoise" outfit amongst in-person registrants - no running required. So get your favorite turquoise apparel out and get ready to raise awareness for POTS.
PRIZES FOR IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL PARTICIPANTS
MOST FUNDS RAISED BY AN INDIVIDUAL
Encourage your friends and family to donate to your personal fundraising page! You''ll receive fundraising credit for your registration fees and donations to your personal fundraiser, donations made by others to your personal fundraiser, cash/check donations made to your personal fundraiser, and sponsorships your obtain. To count towards this prize, cash/check donations must be received by Dysautonomia International's main office (PO Box 596, East Moriches, NY 11940) by 12:00PM EDT October 18, 2024 and must include a note indicating that the donation is for your personal fundraiser. The personal fundraising page that has the most funds raised by 12:00 PM (Noon) EDT on October 18, 2024 will receive a Dysautonomia International Gift Pack with a pair of Cure POTS shoelaces, a Cure POTS tote bag, a Dysautonomia International branded phone charger, and a pair of Dysautonomia International turquoise awareness ribbon compression socks.
MOST FUNDS RAISED BY A TEAM
Encourage your friends and family to register, join your team, and raise funds together! The team that raises the most funds by 12:00 PM (Noon) EDT on October 18, 2024 will receive the Team Prize Package described below. Teams receive fundraising credit for registration fees and donations by your team members, online donations to your team or personal fundraising pages, sponsorships obtained by your team members, and cash/check donations raised by your team members. To count towards this prize, cash/check donations must be received by Dysautonomia International's main office (PO Box 596, East Moriches, NY 11940) by October 18, 2024 and must include a note indicating that the donation is for your team. The Team Prize Package will be provided to the Team Captain and includes a Certificate of Recognition for all team members; shout out to your team on Dysautonomia International's social media channels; and a Dysautonomia International Gift Pack for the Team Captain that includes a pair of Cure POTS shoelaces, a Cure POTS tote bag and a pair of Dysautonomia International turquoise awareness ribbon compression socks.
Individuals/Team Captains can only win one fundraising prize. If the individual with most funds raised is also the Team Captain of the team with most funds raised, they will win the Team Prize and an alternate winner will be chosen for the individual prize.
*Please note that all prizes can be shipped to winners in the continental US at no charge. If a winner would like a prize shipped anywhere outside of the continental US, the winner will be responsible for shipping fees. Final decisions on the winner from each category will be decided by Dysautonomia International.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions by emailing us.
FUNDRAISING LEADERBOARD
These are the virtual and in-person participants who are raising funds for POTS research. Register for the virtual or in-person registration and start a personal fundraising page to join this amazing community of supporters! You also have the option to create or join a team.
A MESSAGE FROM THE POTS WALK & 5K CHAIRPERSONS:
Hi! Mary, Lindsay, Sammie, Emily and Jackie here - a.k.a. "The Dream Team"! We are passionate caregivers, patients, and advocates within the dysautonomia community and we all have our own personal journeys relating to POTS.
It has been a long and winding road indeed - receiving a diagnosis, seeking out knowledgeable medical professionals and treatment options, and finding a community of support.
We are firm believers that research, education, and advocacy are the keys to helping us further understand POTS. The more we research, the better the treatment options; the more we educate, the more effectively medical professionals will understand and be able to treat their POTS patients (can you believe there are still no FDA approved pharmacological treatments for POTS?), and the more we advocate, the more recognition and support we will receive.
With that said, we ask you to please join us in supporting the 2024 Boston POTS Walk & 5K! This event will fund ground-breaking POTS research and help us on our way to understanding this condition better - and ultimately, to finding a CURE! Looking forward to having you with us!
With Sincerest Gratitude,
The Dream Team - Lindsay Spada, Mary Artacho, Sammie Herrick, Emily Birch and Jackie Rutter Gully
WE APPRECIATE OUR SPONSORS!
GAME CHANGER SPONSORS
THOUGHT LEADER SPONSORS
INNOVATOR SPONSORS
JUNIOR SCIENTIST SPONSORS
LAB GEEK SPONSORS
REGISTER
CHECKOUT
THANK YOU!
Thank you for supporting the 2024 Boston POTS Walk & 5K! Below is a summary of your transaction. An email confirmation will be automatically sent in addition to this summary. If you do not receive an e-mail within the next 3 hours, please check your spam folder or email us.
Please note: If you registered for the in-person event, t-shirts must be picked up at the event on Saturday, October 19th at the registration desk. If you signed up for virtual registration with a t-shirt, your shirt will be mailed to you after the event at the end of October.
Dysautonomia International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. Please check with your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of your contribution.
Questions? Please email us.