5K, Costume Run to Help Local Families With Crushing Medical Bills

A partnership with a Hellertown pub will give local beer lovers an incentive to hit the rail trail and provide a big boost to the Community Outreach Benefit (COB), a Coopersburg-based nonprofit that helps families struggling with crushing medical expenses.

The annual benefit, now known as CobCares.org, is assisting three young mothers, including a U.S. Navy veteran who now is disabled.

The new event is “Run Brave for Brews,” a run and walk to be hosted on Sunday, Nov. 4 by Braveheart Highland Pub at 430 Main Street.

This is the second year for the event, which last year benefited borough resident and cancer survivor Amy Campbell-Musser.

Organizers Nancy Petiet and Denise Dyer say runners who pre-register will get a T-shirt and a ticket for a beverage at Braveheart after the run. Details are on the Braveheart Facebook page.

Before then, there are other opportunities to help COB.

On Oct. 20, the third annual CobScares 5K Costume Run will be held at DeSales University in Center Valley. There also will be a 2.5K run and walk and a children’s costume dash. Details and registration forms are online at CobCares.org.

Click here to watch a video about the costume run.

On Oct. 3 and 4, Alcamo restaurant in Richlandtown will share a portion of proceeds with CobCares.

This year CobCares.org is helping:

Melissa Day of Center Valley. She and her husband Robert are the parents of two young girls, and last year Melissa received a diagnosis of a complicated and aggressive form of breast cancer. Her treatment is ongoing.

Melissa Rizzuto of Limeport. She and her husband Chuck are the parents of three sons and a daughter, all of whom are students in the Southern Lehigh District. Last year Melissa had spinal surgery in an attempt to relieve severe back pain, but was left paralyzed from the waist down. She receives ongoing physical therapy and other treatment.

Melody Clayton of the Bally area is a U.S. Navy veteran who worked on tugboats in the Norfolk, Va., area. A back injury and other complications have left her 100 percent disabled. She gets treatment through Veterans Affairs clinics and hospitals. Her husband Chuck quit his job to care for Melody and do all the housework. They have two sons.