Wellness Wednesday – Exercising for a cause

April 27 could be a big day for both fitness and philanthropy.

UNMC, UNMC Physicians and The Nebraska Medical Center are co-sponsoring two fitness events aimed at raising money and awareness.

The events are:

Nebraska’s Fourth Annual Lymphomathon

Nebraska’s fourth Lymphomathon 5K walk will be held April 27 at Mahoney State Park. The free event, hosted by the Lymphoma Research Foundation, begins at 10 a.m., with registration at 9 a.m. at the park pavilion.

Hustle for Hunger set for Friday Hustle for Hunger is a campus walk/run to commemorate the start of UNMC’s annual drive to collect food for the Food Bank of the Heartland. At 3:30 p.m. Friday, runners will tackle a three-mile course around campus while walkers will trek 1.5 miles. Registration, followed by quick remarks, starts at 3:30 p.m. at the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza. The “Hustle” gets under way at 3:45 p.m. The food drive runs April 22 through May 10.

Mahoney State Park is located just off of I-80 at exit 426, between Omaha and Lincoln.

The Lymphomathon is a fun-filled, non-competitive event that offers individuals and teams an opportunity to walk in honor of those whose lives have been touched by lymphoma. A free barbecue will be held for all attendees following the walk.

Proceeds from the walk will benefit Nebraskans through free patient services and research grants. To date, the event has raised $250,000 for research.

You can start a team, join a team, sign up as an individual or make a donation, by going to the event website.

Strollers and friendly leashed pets are welcome. To access Mahoney State Park, vehicles need to display a park permit. Daily permits are available at the park gate for $5.

Bike for Sight

On April 27, UNMC will host the 2013 Bike for Sight at Miller’s Landing on the downtown Omaha riverfront. The charity bike tour aims to raise awareness and funds to support a vision restoring cataract camp in Addis, Ethiopia.

For every registered rider, UNMC’s International Division of Ophthalmology will perform one free cataract surgery on a patient living needlessly blind in Ethiopia.

Three hundred and seventy-four registered riders participated in the 2012 Bike for Sight and more than $8,600 was raised for a cataract camp in Cap Haitien, Haiti in May of last year. See footage of last year’s ride and the sight-restoring surgeries performed in Haiti as a result of its riders at www.bikeforsight.org.

Post-ride event attendees are invited to enjoy live music and beverages.

With a non-competitive format, both casual and serious riders of all ages and skill levels can enjoy the 2013 Bike for Sight. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and participants can choose between 5, 10, 20 and 40-mile routes. Pre-registration is available at www.bikeforsight.org or in person the day of the event.