Great Falls, Virginia - The 3rd Annual Joe Cassella 5K will take place on Sunday, May 20th, 2012, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at the Great Falls Village Center in Great Falls, VA.  Participants will gather together for a great cause and enjoy a day of fitness and fun.  The Kids Fun Run will kick off this event followed by the 5K Run/Walk.  The Joe Cassella Foundation will host a post-race party to include food, music, entertainment for kids, a silent auction, cash prizes, awards and giveaways.  The Kids Fun Run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K Run/Walk starts at 8:45 a.m.  Participants include competitive runners, occasional joggers and even walkers. Enjoy ChronoTrack race timing with disposable D-tags on a USATF certified course. The foundation raised close to $30,000 at the 2nd Annual Joe Cassella 5K.  All the race proceeds in 2011 went to 16-month old Gracie Sweet, who had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

This year’s race beneficiary is Gianna Hess, a one-year old baby battling Hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer. Gianna, from Fairfax, VA, is a brave little girl who started chemotherapy in February, in attempt to shrink the tumor to a size where doctors would feel comfortable removing it surgically. Her father, Travis Hess, math teacher and head coach of the Langley High School Boys Varsity Basketball team, and her mother, Suzanne Hess, 5th grade teacher at John Adams Elementary School, recently gave birth to a baby boy. Unfortunately, in order to care for their ill child, Travis had to step down from his head coaching position at Langley and his wife will be unable to return to her job. The Joe Cassella Foundation strongly believes, that together, we can help the Hess family in their time of need.

The Joe Cassella Foundation is based in Leesburg, VA and its mission is to offer financial assistance to local families of children who are ill to allow families to better focus on supporting their children in their time of need. This organization was born from the loss of an amazing man and inspired by the overwhelming support his family received throughout their journey. To learn more about The Joe Cassella Foundation, and to register for the 5K Run/Walk, go to www.JoeCassellaFoundation.org or visit us on Facebook!