Lifeline of Ohio holds 25th Dash for Donation 5K run

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Thousands of people in Ohio are waiting to receive life-saving organ transplants. To shorten that list, Lifeline of Ohio held its 25th Dash for Donation 5K run on Saturday morning.

“We’ve been able to raise a lot of funds through this to be able to support our donor families,”    said Andrew Mullins, CEO of Lifeline of Ohio. For one Ohio family, this run is already very personal to them and now it has become even more special.

4-year-old Maverick Harris traveled from Tipp City, Ohio with his family by his side. He has one of the most rare neurodegenerative conditions, KIF1A. It leaves him nonverbal and in a wheelchair but his mother says that doesn’t stop his love for the outdoors.

“He can be upset or having a bad day but then he gets outside and he’s just so happy and calm,” said Jaime Harris. Maverick recently outgrew his jogging stroller and through Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, he debuted his brand-new adaptive stroller with a ventilator.

“Without getting the jogging stroller from Make A Wish I don’t know if we would have been able to participate this year,” said Harris. The family has done the Dash for a decade now with organ donation a cause close to their hearts. Maverick’s two grandfathers are transplant recipients. One who received a heart transplant got to cheer him on as he crossed the finish line.

“It’s a fun event anyways but today is just so much more special,” said Harris. His other grandpa died after three kidney transplants. Through his passing, he gave the gift of sight to others as an eye donor.

“We are being able to really honor our heroes of donation that make donation all possible and lives to be able to be saved,” said Mullins. This event has raised more than $140,000 so far. Fundraising continues through August 13. You can donate and learn more about the event here.