For immediate release
April 4, 2014

Olympian, Congressman and stroke survivor support cause

The fourth annual Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run brings an Olympian, a congressman and a young stroke survivor together on Sunday for a great cause.

West Sacramento’s Kim Conley, a 2012 Olympian in the women’s 5,000 meters, headlines a talented elite field that also includes two-time defending men’s champion Tesfaye Alemayehu from Antioch and Auburn’s Jane Kibii, the 2012 women’s champion.

U.S. congressman Ami Bera, who lives in Elk Grove and represents California’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, is scheduled to serve as the official starter and run in the race with his wife, Janine.

Orangevale’s Cadence Stamper, 8, plans to run in the Miracle Mile for kids 13 and under. She suffered a stroke last summer and spent a month at UC Davis Children’s Hospital receiving treatment. She is learning how to run normally again and is slowly starting to regain function on the left side of her body.

The race, which begins at 8 a.m. at the state Capitol, helps raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which include UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

The event is put on by the Sacramento Running Association and sponsored by local credit unions.

“I am looking forward to a great race this weekend with three returning champions,” race director Michelle La Sala said. “The weather should be excellent and the competition stiff.

“The UC Davis Children’s Hospital is a world-class pediatric hospital and we are thrilled to be able to offer support for their extensive patient care.”

The Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run is held on the same day as the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run in Washington, D.C., which also helps raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Since the Credit Union National Association became a sponsor in 2002, the Cherry Blossom race has raised more than $6 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is an affiliation of children’s hospitals throughout the country. Each year these non-profit hospitals provide state-of-the-art care, cutting edge research and preventative health education.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals treat more than 17 million patients each year, including 98 percent of all children needing heart or lung transplants and 88 percent of all children with cancer.

The Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run, which models itself after the Cherry Blossom race, helped raise more than $180,000 last year for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Registration for the Credit Union SACTOWN Ten-Mile Run is $50 online until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday at www.sactown10.org. Runners can also sign up for a three-person relay for $120 per team.

A Miracle Mile for kids 13 and under is free for anyone registering by tonight at 11:59 p.m. and $10 at packet pickup and on race day.

The flat, fast 10-mile SACTOWN course starts at 10th and N Streets and finishes near 10th and L Streets in front of the state Capitol, with runners going through midtown and east Sacramento.

The race will serve as USA Track & Field’s Pacific Association Ten-Mile Championship and features a $15,000 purse.

The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.