THE Astra 5KWalk/Run race staged jointly by the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica (PSJ) and the Kidney Support Foundation of Jamaica (KSFJ) will be trying to raise approximately $15 million at its fourth staging, scheduled for Saturday, September 17.

The launch of the Astra 5K Walk/Run race was held at the Spanish Court Hotel yesterday, where several changes have been implemented this year.

Among them is a change of name for the event from the previous name to the Astra 5K Walk/Run Race.

Commander John McFarlane, who is the chairman of the KSFJ, said the meaning of Astra is travelling through time and space.

He also explained that “Jamaica is the first Third World country to have a kidney transplant unit”, which is located at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

Another change to the event, McFarlane disclosed, is that the event will be run for the first time in the evening, starting at 6:30 pm, moving away from the morning activity.

“I would like to see approximately 3,000 participants involved in the event, which is part of fun and exercise for the body, as last year over 1,000 participated,” he said.

Chevev Foster, a member of the organising committee, gave his overview of the run/walk.

“Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica is staging the event for the fourth consecutive year, while it will be the second year we will be partnering with the Kidney Support Foundation of Jamaica to produce a bigger and better 5K run/walk event,” Foster explained.

He said he hoped that the defending champions Ryon Chambers in the men’s and Arieta Martin in the women’s and Andre Smith in the race walk for men and Paula Sinclair for the women will return to defend their titles.

It was also disclosed that the run/walk will begin at the Police Officers’ Club, then onto Hope Road, head left on Trafalgar Road pass the British High Commission, up to Downer Avenue, left turn onto Windsor Road, then onto Fairview Avenue towards Lady Musgrave Road, left reaching Lady Musgrave Road to pass both Eden Gardens and Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica, then head onto Hope Road and into the Police Officers’ Club compound for the finish.

“Last year our beneficiaries were KSFJ and the Kiwanis Club of Constant Spring’s Eliminate Project. This year’s proceeds will be donated to the KSFJ towards their dialysis Assistance Project for patients who are unable to afford dialysis in Jamaica,” Foster said.

He added that the drive also aims to secure an intensive care unit ventilator for the University Hospital of the West Indies l, and a dialysis machine for the KPH.

Meanwhile, Dr Stephanie Reid, who was the guest speaker at Thursday’s launch, said technology has made people very lazy.

“There are too many distractions from the healthy lifestyles. Things are too easily done, and no one wants to do too much walking which is really important and healthy to the human body,” she said.

Reid, who is also a special advisor to the minister of health, and also holds the post of chief executive officer of the Cornwall Regional Hospital, said a vast number of Jamaicans from 13 years to 70 years have been diagnosed with kidney problems, and according to the World Health Organisation, 11.9 per cent of Jamaicans are obese.

She added that in years gone by, Jamaicans used to cook their Sunday dinners, but these days a lot of them prefer to rush to the fast food restaurants. “This is a lazy habit they have adopted,” she noted.