Event Description

The Fairlington 5K Run & Walk is a non-competitive, family friendly event hosted by Abingdon Elementary School and the Fairlington Citizens Association (FCA) in South Arlington, VA. Our mission is to promote health and physical fitness while bringing the community together for a good cause. The goal of this event is to raise money and awareness for Ellie McGinn and Abingdon’s Physical Education Program. Ellie McGinn is a fifth-grader at Abingdon Elementary and a Fairlington resident who was diagnosed with Leukodystrophy-LBSL in September 2011. LBSL is a uniquely rare degenerative brain and spinal cord  disease. Due to the rare genetic disorder, Ellie's body does not produce a protein essential for the production of myelin. Myelin is a critical substance for the brain and nervous system, provides insulation, and helps transmit signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Proceeds from previous races have helped the family’s foundation, “A Cure for Ellie,” kick-start research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore that aims to cure Ellie’s disease. Now entering their third year of research, the scientists at Kennedy Krieger in the process of testing novel therapies, such as “small molecule” drugs in order to correct Ellie’s genetic mutation.