Fort Worth’s Galderma, Maker of Cetaphil, Draws 524 Runners to Wonder Run 5k and 1k Kids Waddle to Benefit Children’s Skin Disease Foundation
Cetaphil is Long-Term Provider of Products Essential to Children with Skin Diseases
Fort Worth, Texas (October 18, 2017) – Galderma, a Nestlé Skin Health company and maker of Cetaphil, the #1 dermatologist-recommended brand of cleansers and moisturizers, served as lead sponsor for the third annual “Wonder Run” benefiting Children’s Skin Disease Foundation (CSDF).The Wonder Run race on Saturday, October 7, had 524 runners in the 5K and 1K Children’s Kids Waddle and raised $68,000 for Camp Wonder. The race started at the Martin House Brewery in downtown Fort Worth and went along the scenic Trinity Trails and Trinity River. Special guests at the race were Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and former Dallas Maverick Charlie Villanueva, an active supporter of Camp Wonder who also suffers from a chronic skin disease. Both Mayor Price and Villanueva ran the 5K.
Fort Worth Mayor Price started off the race by welcoming runners. “This is an incredibly fun time and a great cause,” said Mayor Price, “and in typical Fort Worth fashion, people are giving of themselves for others and it’s just wonderful to be here and see it happen.”
“What this organization is doing for kids dealing with skin conditions is amazing and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Villanueva, who has visited kids at Camp Wonder. “I suffer from alopecia and I hope today’s event creates awareness.” Villanueva has told Camp Wonder campers on many occasions: ‘You have a skin disease; don’t let the skin disease have you.’” He also posed for photos with campers and signed autographs.
CSDF works to improve the quality of life of children in the U.S. who suffer from painful, chronic and sometimes life-threatening skin diseases that affect not only their physical health but emotional well-being and self-esteem. Camp Wonder is an annual week-long sleep-away camp for children who would otherwise never get to experience camp because of the discomfort, pain, disfigurement, physical and medical limitations, and shame that accompany their skin diseases. Camp Wonder, including round-trip transportation to the California location, is free of charge for campers.
“The support of the Wonder Run and CSDF is a natural fit for Galderma and Nestlé Skin Health,” said Miles Harrison, president and GM of Nestlé Skin Health in North America. “The Wonder Run was created by Nestlé Skin Health employees and this initiative allows us to increase awareness about the physical, psychological and social implications of skin diseases, especially those in children. And it lets us raise funds in a fun, family-friendly environment.”
“When I was younger, I would get bullied because I looked different,” 15-year-old Mikaela Jauregui said. “People have always come up to me and said, 'Why does your skin look different than ours?' That`s always been a part of it.'”
Mikaela has attended Camp Wonder for two years in a row. Her mother, Diana, says it has been a life-changing experience for her. “My daughter came back from Camp Wonder a different person. She no longer lets her eczema define her and the experiences she had and the friends she met at Camp Wonder have made her more confident. We’re thankful that there is a camp for children with skin diseases, a place they can go without feeling judged or ashamed,” said Diana Jauregui, who ran the 5K with Mikaela.
Approximately 2,000 children have benefitted from the Camp Wonder experience since it was founded in 2001. Since 2012, more than $768,000 in funds and in-kind donations have been provided to CSDF and Camp Wonder by Galderma.
“Galderma’s Cetaphil brand of cleansers and moisturizers is a long-time partner with Camp Wonder and provides a generous grant, employee volunteers and Cetaphil products both during the one-week camp and throughout the year to aide children’s skin health needs,” said Francesca Tenconi, CSDF founder. “CSDF is incredibly fortunate to benefit from its generosity as well as its innovative medical solutions and investment in skin health research.” Tenconi was diagnosed at age 11 with a rare skin disease and felt an organization was necessary to focus on the unique problems of children and teenagers who suffer from skin disease. For her 16th birthday, she didn’t ask for presents; she asked for donations and used those to create the foundation.
In addition to lead sponsors Cetaphil, Galderma and Nestlé Skin Health, Wonder Run sponsors include:
- Elite Circle: Lippe Taylor
- Diamond: D+R Lathian Healthcare Multichannel Marketing; Pharm Force; Schaefer Ad. Co.
- Platinum: AmeriPac; ERS Educational Resource Systems, Inc.; Trade Partners
- Gold: Catapult; Dermatology Times; Elicit; The Fitzgerald Family; The Griffin Family; InTouch Solutions; Knipper Healthcare Marketing Solutions; MB Health; Metavision Media; Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide; PSAV; Targetbase; Twist Mktg; Wheels; Todd Zavodnick
- Silver: The Baldwin Family; Coyote; DPAF Dermatology PA Foundation; Deutsch; Directions Research; DSGN; Everyday Health Inc. Professional; NCI Consulting; Runzheimer; SSCG Media Group; Symphony Health; Veeva
- Bronze: Beignet Bus; The Clark Family; Fee, Smith, Sharp & Vitullo, LLP; Fish Creek; PV Communications, Inc.
- In-Kind: Redstone Visual; Richardson Bike Mart
About Galderma
Galderma, Nestlé Skin Health’s medical solutions business, was created in 1981 and is now present in over 100 countries with an extensive product portfolio to treat a range of dermatological conditions. The company partners with health care practitioners around the world to meet the skin health needs of people throughout their lifetime. Galderma is a leader in research and development of scientifically-defined and medically-proven solutions for the skin, hair and nails.
For more information, please visit www.galdermausa.com or www.galderma.com
About Nestlé Skin Health
Nestlé Skin Health’s mission is to enhance quality of life by delivering science-based solutions for the health of skin, hair and nails. As one of the category’s leading companies, Nestlé Skin Health conducts ground-breaking product research to provide both the healthcare community and the consumer with an ongoing progression of innovative technologies and products to protect, serve and enhance skin health.
Media contacts:
Shannon Iwaniuk,
Corporate Communications
Galderma North America
shannon.iwaniuk@galderma.com