2006 VIVA Run

VDF was honored to be part of the Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA) conference with our inaugural Run for Your Legs…and Your Life 5K run/walk. What a big success! We send our thanks to the 280 registered runners who helped us raise $12,750 toward increasing the public's awareness about vascular disease.

Runners/walkers were treated to a performance by Elvis impersonator Steve Connolly, a raffle, and a hearty breakfast under a perfect blue sky. The race took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas and was part of the VIVA06 annual education course for vascular doctors, surgeons, and other medical practioners.

VDF board member Dr. Michael Jaff was VIVA's moderator, and he helped encourage all of the course participants to show their support for PAD awareness week and the national PAD awareness campaign launch, and to learn about VDF and the P.A.D. Coalition. Out of the 280 race participants, the majority were VIVA participants. A friendly competition among attendees quickly took the conference by storm as each exhibitor organization tried to encourage as many members as possible of its own organization to register. Boston Scientific won the competition, with Bard Peripheral, Cordis Endovascular, and ev3 close behind.

The morning of the race, Dr. Alain Drooz, VDF president, received Certificates of Commendation from the offices of both Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign.

Our thanks again to all of our runners/walkers and to all of the sponsors who helped make this inaugural race a great success: Cordis, a Johnson and Johnson Company, ev3, Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center, Bard Peripheral Vascular, Diomed, W. L. Gore and Associates, Medical Media Communications, CV Therapeutics, 4Imprint, and to the Las Vegas Running Team for organizing a great race.