12th Annual Mark Linder Walk for the Mind

Description

 The 12th Annual Mark Linder Walk for the Mind is scheduled for September 27, 2014, at the Peoria RiverPlex.  Named for Mark Linder, a Peoria native who was in his twenties when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Mark's goal was to create a place where brain tumor survivors and those still fighting the battle could support one another. In 2003, Mark founded the Walk for the Mind to help raise money for brain tumor research in hopes of finding a cure. While Mark died in 2005, at age 31, the walk lives on and since then has raised more than $380,000 for brain tumor research. The Walk has grown from 150 participants in 2003, to 750 people last year.  Dr. Patrick Elwood, the central Illinois father of neurosurgery, was named to be the honorary chair at the 2014 Mark Linder Walk for the Mind.  Dr. Elwood, a Peoria native whose career has spanned more than 50 years, was the driving force in the developing and advancing neurological services in the Peoria area, including establishing the neurosurgery residency in Peoria. He's a prominent neurosurgeon, scholar, mentor, and known by many patients as a lifesaver. Many will remember Dr. Elwood for having done the surgery on their friend or family member? said the Walk?s organizer, Peggy Flannigan, who noted Dr. Elwood likely has performed the most brain tumor surgeries than any other surgeon historically in the Peoria area. Having Dr. Elwood as the honorary chair will have a personal meaning to a lot of people.  To register for the Walk or for more information, go to www.marklinderwalkforthemind.org.  This is the third year all net proceeds will be donated to the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria for brain cancer research. Last year's Walk generated a record $50,000 for research.