Solidarity and sport came together once again at a new edition of the Trail Nocturno de Cicero, an event that this year gathered nearly 1,000 people committed to the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Thanks to this sporting event, the association Unidos por un Reto has donated €5,000 to the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) to support the research projects led by the Neurodegenerative Diseases group.
The event, held on April 18, brought together around 200 runners, 700 participants in the walk, and a hundred volunteers who made the day possible. All of them united for a cause that continues to mobilize the people of Cantabria: advancing knowledge about the causes and factors behind Alzheimer’s disease.
For over ten years, Unidos por un Reto, led by Óscar Negrete, has actively collaborated with the research group headed by Eloy Rodríguez, Head of the Neurology Department at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV).
According to Eloy Rodríguez, “these kinds of initiatives are priceless, not only because of the financial support they provide for research, but because they also help raise awareness about the importance of investing in health and science.” The researcher also explained that the donation will be used to “study the mechanisms of neuroinflammation throughout the continuum of Alzheimer’s disease, which is one of our current research lines”, a key area for better understanding the progression of the disease and seeking new therapeutic approaches.
Galo Peralta, IDIVAL’s Managing Director, personally thanked Óscar Negrete and the entire Unidos por un Reto team for their ongoing involvement for more than a decade. “Projects like this are a great example of how sport and solidarity can come together to change lives and open new paths in the research of neurodegenerative diseases.”
With this new contribution, Unidos por un Reto strengthens its commitment to Alzheimer’s research — a disease that affected Óscar Negrete’s father for 15 years and inspired the creation of this sports and solidarity association. Through sporting events and awareness-raising initiatives, the association keeps his memory alive and continues the fight against this devastating illness.
