For the First Time at the 114th Boston Marathon, There Was Representation for a Rare Sleep Disorder, Narcolepsy! Amazing Fundraising Efforts for a Young Non-Profit Organization!

WORCESTER, Mass., April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN), a non-profit foundation started in 2008 by Kevin Cosgrove, a 32-year-old with narcolepsy, had 4 runners participating in the April 19, 2010 Boston marathon.  The mission of WUN is to promote and foster education and awareness about narcolepsy in order to one day find a cure for this sleep disorder that affects 200,000 people in the United States.  Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate the sleep/wake cycle.  Narcolepsy can go undetected for years due to the lack and often distorted understanding of the disorder.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100427/DC94812LOGO )

These 4 runners raised over $30,000 and were thrilled to be making a difference in a disorder that affects them in a personal way.  One of the runners has narcolepsy (featured in a Boston Globe article, "A Race With Sleep" by Elizabeth Cooney, March 29, 2010) and another has a son who was diagnosed with narcolepsy two years ago.

On May 18, WUN will be hosting the 2nd Annual Wake Up Narcolepsy Golf Outing at Wachusett Country Club in West Boylston, MA.  Last year the golf outing filled up quickly, and we anticipate the same this year.  You can register online at wakeupnarcolepsy.org.

SOURCE Wake Up Narcolepsy