Hundreds Run For Spina Bifida Awareness

More than 250 runners converged on Wolfe Park on Saturday to run for a good cause.

The fourth annual “Run, Walk –n- Roll,” put on by the Spina Bifida Association of Minnesota, raised $13,000 for families and individuals dealing with the disease.

It was the fourth year of the event, and participation this year more than doubled from 2010.

Spina bifida is a birth defect involving an incomplete development of the spinal cord and its coverings. It is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the U.S., affecting one out of every 1,000 live births. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 166,000 people living with spina bifida in the U.S. There is no known cure for spina bifida, and the cause is unknown.