Fort Worth's Galderma, Maker of Cetaphil, Presents the 5th Annual Wonder Run 5K and Kids 1K to Benefit Children's Skin Disease Foundation

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Galderma, maker of Cetaphil, the #1 dermatologist-recommended facial skincare brand, is hosting the 5^th Annual Wonder Run benefiting Children's Skin Disease Foundation (CSDF). The annual run raises money and awareness for children all over the U.S. with life-altering skin diseases that affect both their physical health and emotional well-being. The run takes place on Saturday, November 2, at Fort Worth's The Shops at Clearfork, 5188 Monahans Ave.

Galderma, the world's largest independent dermatology company, has North America headquarters in Fort Worth. Galderma employees created the first Wonder Run five years ago to support CSDF and Camp Wonder, an annual week-long, sleep-away camp for children who would otherwise never get to experience camp because of their skin conditions and associated medical needs. While the skin conditions of the campers can range in severity, many experience severe and chronic pain that often affects not only their physical health, but also their emotional well-being and self-esteem. Camp Wonder is completely free of charge for campers and is staffed by medical professionals who specialize in treating chronic and severe skin diseases, including alopecia areata, vitiligo, icthyosis, pemphigoid, Gorlin syndrome and epidermolysis bullosa. 

The Kids' 1K Waddle begins at 8 a.m., followed by the 5K Fun Run/Walk at 8:30. After the race, guests can enjoy local craft beer and food vendors; a market featuring items from local artisans for early holiday shopping; family activities like lawn games, face painting, a photo booth;; a local DJ; an on-site raffle with great prizes and more.

Camp Wonder camper Emily Houston, 14, is traveling from San Angelo, Texas, to participate in the race. Emily suffers from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare and sometimes fatal genetic connective tissue disorder that causes painful skin blisters and tears. "My favorite part about camp is that I can be completely and unapologetically myself. No one is judgmental and for one week, I can let go and have fun without worrying about other people's opinions," said Emily. "We campers have a single bonding experience: being different. That means that we all understand each other and can be supportive and positive influences in each other's lives. And that's an amazing connection that holds us together forever."

Campers Carley and Alyssa Thornton, 15-year-old twins from Little Elm, Texas, are participating in the Wonder Run for the 2nd year in a row to raise funds for CSDF. They both suffer from severe eczema and have experienced first-hand the social stigmas associated with skin disease.  "Camp Wonder is somewhere we can escape to and not have to worry about anything related to our skin condition," said Alyssa.

"Galderma is committed to changing the way the world thinks about skin health and that starts with the patient," said Miles Harrison, President and General Manager for Galderma in North America.  "We are proud to be the founding partner of the Wonder Run, now in its fifth year.  The Wonder Run allows us to not only raise awareness about the often untold burdens of skin disease, but also to directly and positively impact the lives of children with the money the race raises each year."  

Approximately 2,000 children have benefitted from the Camp Wonder experience since it was founded in 2001. Since 2012, more than $900,000 in funds and in-kind donations have been provided to CSDF and Camp Wonder by Galderma.

"These kids, who aren't able to participate in a traditional summer camp experience, return from their Camp Wonder experience with more self-confidence, a sense of normalcy and a feeling of fitting in, often for the first time in their lives," said Jason Eagar, a Galderma sales representative who volunteered for the second time at this year's Camp Wonder. "Experiencing camp firsthand, and the campers' victories like being able to swim in public for the first time without being self-conscious, or rock-climbing because they feel inspired to try new things at camp, gives new meaning and real purpose to the work we are already doing at Galderma every day."

"Galderma and Cetaphil® have truly had a transformational impact on Camp Wonder. Over the past 8 years, they have provided grants year after year, sent their own employees to volunteer at Camp Wonder, and also supplied Cetaphil® products, not only for use at camp, but also for the kids to use year-round," said Francesca Tenconi, CSDF founder. Tenconi was diagnosed at age 11 with a rare and chronic skin disease, pemphigus folliaceus, that caused itchy and painful blisters to form all over her body.  Feeling isolated by her condition, Francesca created a plan to find and help other children with skin conditions. For her 16th birthday, in lieu of gifts, she asked for donations and used those to create The Children's Skin Disease Foundation and the first annual Camp Wonder in 2000.

One-hundred percent of registration fees from the run are donated directly to Camp Wonder. To sign up for the race, visit www.wonderrun.org. Race day packet pick-up and registration opens at The Shops at Clearfork at 7 a.m. on November 2nd.

2019 Camp Wonder video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgoyjnEM2zk&feature=youtu.be

2018 Wonder Run video:  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=491770691364399

Sponsors:

• The 5th Annual Wonder Run is founded and funded by: Galderma and Cetaphil.
• Camp Heroes: Lippe Taylor, PharmForce, Schaefer Advertising, Insite, Ameripac, Inc., Elicit, L.L.C.
• Camp Leader: Maritz Motivation, Meyer-Dunlap, W2O Group, ERS, Wimmer Solutions, CornerStone Staffing
• Camp Buddy: The T!LT Group, Epsilon Agency, Distance Learning Providers, M3 Health, Commerce House, Kforce, Amplify Health, C3 Metrics, Coyote Logistics, Sector 5 Digital, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Advanced Clinical, Galderma Rx Sales Sponsors: Team San Francisco, Team St. Louis, Team Dallas, PREDICTif Solutions
• Big Camper: Intouch Solutions, Aptus Health, J. Knipper and Company, Inc., The Griffin Family, DSGN Associates, Risser Grain, LLC, The LINK Group, SSCG Media Group, The Fitzgerald Family, Inmar, Inc., Symphony Health -A PRA Health Sciences Company, Ronan Solutions, LLC, Indegene Inc., Perficient, Darin Wilson Family & Friends, Tyson & Kate Sandlin, Chuck & Diane Bundrant, Trident Seafood, Mary & Jo Bundrant, Galderma Women's Leadership Network, Galderma Rx Sales Sponsors: Team Atlanta, Team Charlotte, Team Florida, Team Houston, Team Fort Worth, Team Specialty Sales
• Little Camper: Cosmetic Promotions, Deutsch, Inc., Battlefield Leadership, LLC, Practical Dermatology, ID Studio 54, LLC, Marina Maher Communications, Ibotta, Veeva Systems, Expeditors International, TrialCard, Inc., AFS Logistics, LLC, GTA Investments, Pantea Tamjidi, MD, Steve Moskovits & Connie Konzey-Moskovits, The Faciane Law Firm, LP, Inventus
• In-Kind Sponsors: Redstone Visual, Inman Promotional Team, Meyer-Dunlap, Colorescience, Educational Products, Inc.

For additional information about the race, visit www.wonderrun.org or facebook.com/wonderruntexas.

About Galderma
Galderma, the world's largest independent global dermatology company, was created in 1981 and is now present in over 100 countries with an extensive product portfolio to treat a range of dermatological conditions. The company partners with health care practitioners around the world to meet the skin health needs of people throughout their lifetime. Galderma is a leader in research and development of scientifically-defined and medically-proven solutions for the skin. For more information, please visit  www.galderma.com.

SOURCE Galderma

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