UW News

February 2, 2006

Off and running: UWMC becomes title sponsor of 2006 Seattle Marathon

UW Medical Center has become the title sponsor for the 2006 Seattle Marathon, and has designated proceeds to benefit the Living Legacy Foundation, which builds community awareness of organ and tissue donation in the Pacific Northwest.

“For the past five years, UW Medical Center has sponsored Team Transplant, a group of UWMC transplant recipients, faculty physicians, staff, family and friends, who have participated in the Seattle Marathon,” said Kathleen Sellick, executive director of UW Medical Center.

More than 170 members of Team Transplant, including 30 liver, kidney and heart recipients, participated in the 2005 event. The team was founded and is coached by Alysun Deckert, a UWMC dietitian and past Olympic trials qualifier.

“Sponsoring the Seattle Marathon is part of our community commitment,” Sellick said.

“We are very pleased to have such a prominent local sponsor,” said John Kokes, president of the Seattle Marathon Association Board.

“The Living Legacy Foundation is honored to be selected by University of Washington Medical Center as the beneficiary for the 2006 Seattle Marathon,” said Jill Steinhaus, executive director of the Living Legacy Foundation. “We are thrilled to see our partnership grow and know that together we will save many more lives through organ donation and transplantation.”

UW Medical Center, founded in 1959, has been a leader in organ transplantation in the Northwest for nearly 40 years. The first kidney transplant in the region took place at UWMC in 1968, the first heart transplant in 1985, and the first liver transplant in 1990. It is the only medical center in Western Washington to perform adult heart, liver and lung transplants. UWMC is ranked ninth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and many of its clinical programs rank in the top 20 nationally.

The Seattle Marathon was founded in 1970. Over 11,000 individuals participated in the running and walking events last year, and over 35,000 people passed through the Seattle Marathon Health and Fitness Expo in the two days leading up to the main event on Sunday morning. The geographical reach of the Seattle Marathon continues to grow year after year as well, with 47 states and 10 nations represented at the 2005 event.

The Seattle Marathon Family of Events has risen to become one of the largest and most influential mass-participation runs on the West Coast, and is ranked by Runners World Magazine as one of the top 20 marathons in the United States.