Tag Archive for: run4usher

Run4Usher Zandvoort breaks all records!

LEES ARTIKEL IN HET NEDERLANDS

On the 27th of March, the Run4Usher team joined almost 12.000 other runners at the start of the Zandvoort Circuit Run. This beautiful spring day set the scene for one of the first major running events of the year. The Ushers Syndrome Foundation was chosen by Rotary Zandvoort as the official charity for this edition of the Zandvoort Circuit Run. Not only adults appeared at the start; for the young participants there was also a special Kids Run. The large team of Run4Usher broke all records on this wonderful day and collected the fantastic amount of € 85.427,- !

Pole Position
From Pole Position, the 185 participants of Run4Usher started the 13th edition of this spectacular running event.  The program consisted of various courses: the 10 English Mile (16.1 km), 12 km and 4 km (One Lap) and for the youngest participants there was the special Kids Circuit Run and the Wheelers and Racerunner Race. Also Carol Brill and Debs Heffernan from Usher Syndrome Ireland had been specially flown in for a one-lap track over the circuit.

In the special tent of Run4Usher at the Paddock there was the opportunity to meet each other and share the solidarity. After the Kids Circuit Run, the young participants were treated to various activities led by a large group of volunteers, there was candy floss, face painting and costumes as well as go-kart races at the Paddock.

Rijsterbij
The rapper Rijsterbij (Martijn Rijsenbrij) gave a benefit concert, selling his CDs and donating the proceeds to Stichting Ushersyndroom. Martijn Rijsenbrij sings Dutch hip-hop with solid beats. “It’s getting dark, all the lights are going out, but I’m not going to wait for the day it gets dark, to that thought I say thunder”. Martijn has the eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, just like all people with Usher syndrome.

All records broken
The participation and presence of the Run4Usher team did not go unnoticed and generated a lot of attention for Ushersyndrome during the event and in the media.

The proceeds for the Ushersyndrome Foundation are a record: the runners and their supporters, the volunteers who collected at the event and the additional proceeds from LeChampion and Rotary Zandvoort together raised € 85.327,- !

A long haul
For the project group, the organisation has also been a challenging time. The team that organised this edition of Run4Usher consisted of ‘Ushers’ Machteld Cossee and Carin de Bruin and ‘Usher parents’ Daan Wijsbek, Esmé Ter Stege and Liesbeth Kenters. Machteld: “I remember that in mid 2019 the first contact was made with the Rotary Club and Le Champion. We were going to watch and gain experience at Stichting Hartekind, which had been chosen as the Charity for that year, but unfortunately the pandemic threw a spanner in the works.”
Despite this, the project group continued to make plans and recorded a promo with John Williams, a Dutch celebrity. Because you never know!
Unfortunately, the 2021 edition of the Zandvoort Circuit Run was also cancelled due to corona.

Until the end of 2021, event organisation Le Champion cautiously gave the go-ahead.
“We had to switch gears for a moment and suddenly we were back in business. It took a lot of Zoom meetings and group apps to get everything right,” say parents Daan and Esmé. “Various interviews, sending out newsletters and having to arrange all the practical matters at the last minute, it was simply top-class sport! according to Carin. The ever-calm Liesbeth thinks it has been a matter of long breath. “We did it, and we did it well”. Fortunately, the project group was able to count on the support and assistance of a huge group of volunteers for the practical help.

Record proceeds
Thanks to sponsorships from runners, the sale of merchandise and volunteers who collected during the event, they managed to raise a staggering € 65.427,- !
On 11 April last, the members of the project group received a cheque from the Rotary Zandvoort and event organisation Le Champion.
This brings the total record revenue of € 85.327,- !

Thanks to the financial support of “Stichting ter verbetering van het lot der Blinden” for the incurred expenses, the entire proceeds of Run4Usher Zandvoort Circuit Run can benefit scientific research into and treatment of Usher, in order to stop the process of becoming deaf and blind. In this way, the dot on the horizon for people with Usher syndrome is coming ever closer.

Here you can see all the photos of the Run4Usher edition Zandvoort Circuit. With many thanks to photographer Sanne ter Horst.

Click me

Would you like to be part of the Run4Usher team? Or would you like to help organize the next Run4Usher edition during the Seven Hills Run (19 and 20 November) in Nijmegen? Then please contact us via the mail run4usher@ushersyndroom.nl

Stichting Ushersyndroom good cause Zandvoort Circuit Run

The popular Zandvoort Circuit Run will be held again on Sunday 27 March 2022. As a runner you must have run this unique race once in your life. The Zandvoort Circuit Run is known as the most varied track in the Netherlands. This year Stichting Ushersyndroom (the Dutch Usher Syndrome Foundation) was selected the official good cause.

© Zandvoort Circuit

Sprint from the pit lane into the direction of the hills and the compound banking. All distances run a full lap on the circuit. After this the long-distance track goes into the direction of the beach, the dunes and the village. The start and finish are on the Formula 1 circuit of Zandvoort.

Start and finish on the Formula 1 circuit!
You start and finish on the circuit and run a few kilometres on the beach, in the dunes and through the nice coastal village. You can choose between the 10 English Miles (16.1 km), 12 kilometres (competition run) of the 4 km (one lap). There also is the Circuit Run Specials and the Kids Circuit Run for children. Children (between 4 and 12 years old) with a wheeler or RaceRunner can also participate!

It is also possible to participate in the Zandvoort Circuit Business Run with your colleagues. This is a perfect opportunity for team building. Challenge your team to appear at the start of the 13th edition of the Zandvoort Circuit Run on Sunday 27 March.

There will be nice activities for the children around the paddock.

Rotary Club Zandvoort and Stichting Ushersyndroom 
Special attention will be paid to the funding of good causes. The formula in ‘Zandvoort’, which includes the organisation of fund raising for good causes in cooperation with the Rotary Club, is unique.

The organisation hopes to collect donations by means of voluntary contributions from the entrants and by making use of special Rotary teams. The Rotary Club Zandvoort will make known the proceeds some weeks after the Zandvoort Circuit Run.

We are really proud and grateful that the Usher Syndrome Foundation is the good cause of the Zandvoort Circuit Run edition 22.

Heading for the point on the horizon
Whatever track you choose, you can create your own sponsor campaign and ask people to sponsor you for the Usher Syndrome Foundation. The proceeds of the Zandvoort Circuit Run and your sponsor campaign will be used to finance scientific research into a treatment for Usher Syndrome. At this moment, there is no treatment yet that can stop people from becoming both deaf and blind caused by Usher Syndrome, but there is hope! The mission of Stichting Ushersyndroom is ‘There will be a treatment for Usher Syndrome in 2025!’. This is the point on the horizon we are heading for!

Entry and registration

  1. Quickly register for the Zandvoort Circuit Run! You can do this here.
  2. If you run together with your running buddy because you are visually impaired or (deaf) blind? Please send us an e-mail through run4usher@ushersyndroom.nl and you will receive the instructions for how your buddy can register.
  3. Start a sponsor campaign after your registration and raise money for Stichting Ushersyndroom. You can create a campaign here.

Run4Usher team
It will be even more fun to be part of the sociable Run4Usher team and to run in our nice shirt with our mascot USHIE.

After your registration for the Zandvoort Circuit Run, also present yourself for the Run4Usher team through run4usher@ushersyndroom.nl and receive all the practical information you need.

Take action together with us and John Williams and join in the run!

Let’s collect money together to finance research into a treatment. In this way we can stop the process of becoming both deaf and blind caused by Usher Syndrome.

See you on the Formula 1 Circuit on Sunday 27 March!

Look here for additional information about the Zandvoort Circuit Run