Fargo, ND - August 14, 2012: North Dakota State University student, Ben Clark, is currently trekking 400 miles in an effort to raise $10,000 for the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA).
This mission is deeply personal to him as both of his parents suffer from autoimmune diseases, his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and his dad is battling a damaging disorder that continues to disrupt his peripheral nerves.
"This cause means so much to me. I will run for a week to raise money. And, yes, I will put myself through a living hell but I just want donations. I want to do something. I want to help somehow. I want to give back and that is what this is all about," Clark said in a video interview.
Clark is no stranger to running long distances. In a previous race, he ran 54 hours without stopping.
To donate to Clark's campaign, please visit: www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/benclark/runaroundcampus
A video profiling Clark's plight: http://vimeo.com/47366035
Visit Clark's webpage: www.benclarkruns.com
About AARDA
AARDA is the only national nonprofit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases. Approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected--some 30 million people--are women. Still, with these statistics, autoimmunity is rarely discussed as a women's health issue. www.aarda.org
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