ORCHARD PARK, NY — For the third year in a row, runners took over the streets of Orchard Park to raise awareness of Lyme disease and to make sure you prevent infection next time you're outside.
The event is hosted by Lyme WNY, a local non-profit looking to raise awareness, advocate and to share prevention efforts surrounding Lyme disease and tick-borne diseases. An organization with a connection to the disease far closer than its name suggests.
"Lyme WNY was founded about 13 years ago after my husband contracted Lyme disease," Chair Rebecca Roll told WKBW. "We realized what kind of a misconception it is, and how easy it is to get treated. We really went through a lot to get his diagnosis, and we started the organization to kind of be the voice at the time that we didn't have."
When it came to the event itself, it started with another personal connection.
"My friend and colleague, Colleen Gancy, a first-grade teacher, was also diagnosed with Lyme disease, and we provided her with a grant, and she decided she wanted to help pay it forward," Roll said. "That's all we can ask for, and we started this race about 3 years ago to help raise funds, to give back to our Lyme community."
WATCH: Hundreds hit the streets of Orchard Park for 3rd Annual Lyme WNY Walk and 5K
Several of the runners who participated in the event have their own connections as well.
Katlyn Gedeon, Heather Lennon and Tommy Bellonte are all members of a Bills running group. One of their fellow members also has the disease.
"It's super prevalent in our area because of the woods and the ticks here," Gedeon said. "I think a lot of people don't know when they have Lyme disease, and I think that's important to bring awareness to, like, hey, ask your doctors, could it be this if you're experiencing weird symptoms or they've done all these tests and nothing has been conclusive, it could be Lyme disease. Bringing attention to that, I think, is important."
The sentiment was echoed by another runner, Sandy Zwawa, who ran the race with her golden retriever Cash.
"Lyme disease is so prevalent now in this area, it just seems that we need to pay more attention to it because you never know if you can be affected by it," Zwawa said. "I'm not directly affected by it, thank God, but you just never know, and if something could affect you, and that's why we try to support organizations and causes that are important to the community and important to your health."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, recent estimates using other methods suggest that approximately 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year in the United States.
"It's an everywhere problem," Roll said. "It's not a wooded problem. It's not a hunting problem. It is an everywhere problem. We always say it's a baseball field, playground field, football field, soccer, you name it. It is an outdoor problem.
"We're lucky. We're blessed, but make sure you use your preventions. Make sure you spray before you play. Use Permethrin, and do your tick checks.”
The CDC recommends the following as other ways to prevent tick bites/Lyme disease when outdoors:
- Avoid grassy, brushy, or wooded areas where ticks live.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, or clothing and gear pre-treated with 0.5% permethrin.
- Check your body, clothing, gear, and pets for ticks during and after being outdoors, including in your own backyard. Consider using a lint roller to roll over your skin, clothing, and gear to remove unattached ticks you cannot see.
- Shower soon after being outdoors to wash off unattached ticks.
- Remove attached ticks as soon as possible. Do not wait to go to a healthcare provider to remove the tick. Delaying tick removal could increase your risk of getting Lyme disease or other diseases spread through tick bites.
Additionally, Lyme WNY offers a support group for families and those impacted by the disease every second Wednesday of the month.
