HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Richmond chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority held its annual Florence Neal Cooper Smith 5K Saturday morning at Dorey Park in Henrico.
The event was named after Florence Neal Cooper Smith, who has spent more than 40 years working to find a cure for sickle cell disease.
The blood disorder causes red blood cells to take on a sickle shape, making it difficult for oxygen to move through the body properly.
The more than $7,600 raised from the event went to the MCV Foundation to support research and treatment.
FULL INTERVIEW: The important reasons behind Florence Neal Cooper Smith Sickle Cell 5k
"MCV and the work that they are doing in sickle cell research, the hope is, is that they will be able to further advance the treatments, create a cure, and most of all, to bring awareness so that individuals will know their own sickle cell status and how and why it is transmitted to others," Lisa Townes said.
CBS 6 "This Morning" anchor Reba Hollingsworth served as the event’s emcee.
WATCH: Virginia man diagnosed with sickle cell at birth participates in 'revolutionary' gene addition trial
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