Bay Area Awareness Walk Draws Over 100 Community Members

SAN RAFAEL, CA — The community gathered Thursday at China Camp State Park to raise awareness for a rare condition, walking 2.7 miles.

“Move Your Pheet” is a scenic walk to raise awareness for phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare, inherited metabolic condition where the body struggles to break down phenylalanine, an amino acid present in many foods. If PKU goes untreated, phenylalanine accumulates in the bloodstream, potentially leading to severe neurological issues. Currently, the FDA has approved only two treatments for PKU, both created by BioMarin of San Rafael, according to a press release.

“We’re grateful for BioMarin’s longstanding partnership with the National PKU Alliance and its continued support of our community,” Catherine Warren, the NPKUA executive director, told Patch. “We appreciate the BioMarin team moving their ‘pheet’ today to help raise critical awareness for PKU and for empowering NPKUA to better serve individuals and families living with PKU across the country.”

Participants were welcomed with snacks, giveaways and shared sense of purpose to help drive progress forward.

“Events like Move Your Pheet not only bring visibility to PKU, but they remind us why we do the work we do to improve the lives of people living with rare genetic conditions,” Cristin Hubbard, BioMarin chief commercial officer, told Patch. “We are proud to continue to stand alongside the NPKUA in raising further awareness of this metabolic condition.”