Johns Hopkins Medicine’s inaugural United Way 5K raised over $29,000 for United Way of Central Maryland.

Exchanging lab coats, scrubs and suits for running shoes and T-shirts, more than 250 Johns Hopkins employees and students gathered on April 28 in Eager Park, a revitalized community space two blocks north of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, for Johns Hopkins Medicine’s inaugural 5K for United Way. Almost a year to the day after the opening of Eager Park, a crowd gathered on its lawn once again in support of the community.

Following leadership remarks, a dynamic stretch led by fitness instructor Tavon Copes, and a moving rendition of the national anthem by Charisse Caldwell-Bowen from Unified Voices, runners and walkers took off from Eager Park through the city streets and nearby Patterson Park.

“Running through the neighborhoods that surround Johns Hopkins lets you really take the time to see them in a way that you don’t when you’re just driving through,” said participant Erika Darrah, assistant professor of medicine.

When the race ended, an eager crowd watched Redonda G. Miller, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Andy Satin, director of the Department of Gyne­cology and Obstetrics, hand out awards to the top runners and fundraisers.

Led by team captains and nurse practi­tioners Julie McArthur, Sherilyn Brinkley and Taryn Haselhuhn, Team Hep C Free Baltimore raised more than $5,000 for the Johns Hopkins Viral Hepatitis Center. Brinkley, who was also the top individual fundraiser, said the most memorable mo­ment was crossing the finish line hand-in-hand with a patient undergoing treatment at the center. The team’s fundraising will help offset the cost of medication copay­ments and transportation to and from the clinic for patients having hepatitis B and C treatment in the John G. Bartlett Specialty Practice.

Other notable fundraising teams includ­ed neurology’s Brainy Bunch,—sporting paper brain hats, the team members raised over $2,700. The Department of Psychia­try and Behavioral Sciences’ team, Racing Thoughts, raised $655, and the Gyn/Ob Ova-Achievers raised nearly $600.

Tory Johnson, assistant professor of neurology, says she participates in nearly every charity race in Baltimore and was not about to miss this one. “Johns Hopkins is such an integral player in our community and the founding of Johns Hopkins was for the community, so being a faculty mem­ber, it’s important for me to continue that tradition of supporting our community,” she says.

Before the race started, Franklyn Baker, CEO and president of United Way of Cen­tral Maryland, told participants, “United Way is working with our neighbors and community influencers and people like you so that more families can cross the finish line to a productive life, and more neigh­borhoods get the head start they need to grow and thrive.”

Paul B. Rothman, dean of the medi­cal faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, emphasized the need to address issues that cause health disparities in order to improve the health of our community. Partnering with United Way, he said, is the key to doing just that.

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