Inaugural 5k helping families facing rare syndrome find support || OnlineAthens.com

Blueprint: Inaugural 5k helping families facing rare syndrome find support || OnlineAthens.com:

'We wanted to see if there are other families out there - and they just started to pop out of the woodwork,' Marisa Elrod said.

The Elrods have organized Northeast Georgia's first Race for Williams Syndrome 5K Trail Run and 1-mile Family Fun Walk to help more Georgia families affected by the syndrome find one another and share stories. They also want the general public to be able to find out more about the syndrome and the children it affects.

So far, close to 400 people have signed up for the 5K and family fun walk, which will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Crow's Lake on U.S. Highway 129 in Jefferson. Participants can register the day of the race, and the public is invited to attend.

'Really, this is for our own community, so people will know about Avery's condition - I have not met a single person in the general public who had heard of Williams,' Elrod said.