On November 25th, D’Arcy Johnson Day was proud to be a corporate sponsor of the 14th Annual Johnnie’s Run in Smithville, New Jersey.  Johnnie’s Run is an annual 5K and 1 mile fun run named in honor of 18 year old Johnnie Bieniakowski who was born with Down Syndrome and contracted Lymphocytic Leukemia at the age of four.  The run is held to promote public awareness of Children’s Leukemia and Down Syndrome and to provide financial and moral support to families battling children’s illness.  Portions of run proceeds annually go to the Friends of Trisomy 21 Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and the Arc of Atlantic County.

The race committee for Johnnie’s Run named Aiyanna Rodriguez (pictured above) as this year’s primary beneficiary.  Aiyanna is a 9 year old Mays Landing resident who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on July 27th of this year.  She is a patient of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she has gone through several blood drawings/tests, a medical port insertion, spinal taps, and other painful procedures. 

For more information about Aiyanna please check out their Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/AiyannaFightsLeukemia