parking map here
Please join us Saturday morning May 14th to CELEBRATE OLIVIA by enjoying a walk, run, skate or ride around Tempe Town Lake while raising funds for the MLD Foundation and Olivia's Fund.
Who is Olivia?
Olivia Hoffmann passed away peacefully this past December at age 8 1/2. She was diagnosed in 2004 at the age of twenty-seven months with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) and spent the last 6 years fighting a battle that made us all proud. Olivia left behind her parents, Christine (Gootjes) and Eric, two younger twin brothers, Carter & Will, and a host of loving aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.
Less than a year after diagnosis MLD, a rare terminal neurometabolic disorder caused Olivia to go from a healthy, smiling, bright-eyed little girl to a child who can no longer control any movement, talk, eat (she’s fed through a feeding tube), see, or even smile. You can learn more about Olivia here.
Olivia's Walk will begin and end at Tempe Beach Park ... Parking info here! Mill Avenue & Rio Salado Parkway: 80 West Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe, AZ 85281.
Who benefits from Olivia's Walk?
The MLD Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 serving MLD families, increasing awareness, and influencing research for metachromatic leukodystrophy in the US and around the globe. 100% of the funds donated go to the MLD Foundation and are fully tax deductible. Register/donate online or make your chack out to the MLD Foundation - you will receive a receipt with the details of your donation. Learn more about the MLD Foundation here.
What is Metachromatic Leukodystrophy?
Featured Olivia's Walk SponsorMetachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare terminal neurometabolic inherited disease. People who are affected by MLD lack an enzyme in their blood called Arylsulfatase-A, (ARSA). Without this enzyme, sulfatides are NOT broken down and instead build-up in the white matter of the brain and the rest of the body causing destruction of the myelin sheath (demyelination). Without an intact myelin sheath there is a breakdown in communication between the nerves and the brain resulting in a progressive loss of physical and cognitive skills leading to early death. There is no cure yet, but with increasing research there is hope!
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Join this year's fun!
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| Tempe Towne Lake is a beautiful, flat area in the heart of Tempe - perfect for a late spring walk! | 
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