PRESS RELEASE

May 3, 2011

MEDIA CONTACTS: Museum Center contact: Stephanie Lowe, (513) 373-3242, slowe@cincymuseum.org, Jovante Woods Foundation contact: Terry Smith, (513) 939-7219, tmith@jovantewoodsfoundation.org

Museum Center hosts asthma awareness event in memory of Jovante Woods

CINCINNATI- On Saturday, May 7, Cincinnati Museum Center will host the Jovante Woods Foundation’s Inaugural 5k Asthma Awareness Walk-Run and “Breathing Right Should Not Be a Fight” Asthma Screening and Education Fair.

On August 14, 2010, Jovante Woods died suddenly from a severe asthma attack. Inspired to educate others about asthma awareness, Jovante’s parents, Ickey and Chandra, developed the Jovante Woods Foundation. The Foundation supports the Cincinnati Children’s Division of Asthma Research with their mission to develop more effective medication to control asthma, and ultimately, discover a cure for this disease.

The walk-run will begin and end at Cincinnati Museum Center. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m. For competitors, the race will be directed by Prescott Running and will be time chipped. Awards will be presented to the top male and female runners following the run. 

The education fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Museum Center and includes asthma screenings and education provided by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Families can explore the inner-workings of the human body with Museum Center’s activity booths, including dissection demonstrations and motor skill exercises.

Cincinnati Children’s Dr. Gurjit Hershey, director of the Division of Asthma Research, and Dr. Carolyn Kercsmar, director of the Asthma Center, will speak to the locality, research and innovations in asthma research at 11 a.m.

All Tri-State athletic coaches are invited to attend a coaches’ clinic at noon. The clinic will focus on early asthma warning signs, exercise induced asthma and discussions about preventative measures and methods that should be implemented before and during exercise.

The walk-run is $25 for adults, $15 for students, $10 for children 12 and under and free for children under 5. Day of the event registration is $5 more. The health fair screenings are free and open to the public.

Registration for the race can be found on the Foundation website jovantewoodsfoundation.org or at www.sprunning.com. During online registration, registrants can select Cincinnati Museum Center from the drop down menu and $5 from their adult registration will be donated to Museum Center. 

Proceeds from the 5k walk-run and asthma awareness education event will benefit the Jovante Woods Foundation’s education, outreach and research programs and the Cincinnati Children’s Division of Asthma Research.

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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration. As one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest, Cincinnati Museum Center has served as an educational, research and entertainment resource to millions of visitors from around the world. Organizations within Museum Center include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. These organizations combine to serve more than one million visitors annually, reaching out to nearly 400,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs. Originally built in 1933 as a train station, Union Terminal stands as one of the last remaining grand-scale Art Deco style railroad terminals. The building is a National Historic Landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For information, call 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.