Fight the Bite 5K for Lyme disease awareness, Saturday

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(May 12, 2023) After a three-year hiatus, Fight the Bite Ocean City is returning to the Boardwalk with the seventh annual Lyme Awareness 5K Walk and Fun Run, tomorrow starting at 9 a.m.

Fight the Bite is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses and educating people on tick bite prevention, said Fight the Bite Founder Angela Burke.

May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month and a time of the season where tick activity starts to increase along with the warm weather, Burke said.

Some of the money raised at the 5K will fund a set of billboards as part of an education campaign. One will be featured on Route 50.

Registration will be located at in the southwest end of the inlet parking lot and opens at 8 a.m. Attendees can register in advance for $20, or sign up on-location Saturday for $25. Tshirts are included with every registration.

Other education nonprofits like the Delmarva Lyme Disease Association will join Fight the Bite near the registration table to share information about the organizations.

The 5K kicks off an hour later and will be followed by a post-race party that starts around 11 a.m. at Brass Balls Saloon on 11th Street.

The route begins at the tram station on the Boardwalk. Participants will go north to 16th Street and then turn back to head south down the Boardwalk. They will then go up and back on the pier before ending in the inlet parking lot.

“I think the Ocean City Boardwalk is one of the most beautiful places to go for a run or a walk, so even if you just come out for that, and then you can get some information as well,” Burke said. “Take in that view and come and join us at the afterparty and have fun.”

Brass Balls Saloon’s after party includes auctions, raffles and door prizes donated by local businesses like a DeWalt heavy-duty cooler, gift cards and even a nail gun.

“We have some really interesting and generous sponsors,” Burke said. There will also be a tailgating picnic basket and a pampered pet package, which will include gourmet dog biscuits, Burke said.

Organizers encourage attendees to donate through the Fight the Bite Paypal and share the event on social media to help spread awareness.

Out of all the states, Maryland ranks 11th for the highest number of Lyme disease cases, according to Fight the Bite, making this an important time and place to bring awareness to tick-borne illness, Burke said.

“If you’re going to be outside in your garden or playing in the woods or hiking or anything like that you just have to take some preventative measures,” Burke said.

For more information on the 5K, or about tick bite prevention, visit https://www.fightthebiteoc.org/, or email fightthebiteOC@gmail.com.

MCBP volunteer event, Saturday

(May 12, 2023) The Maryland Coastal Bays Program is hosting its second of a series of four Discover Your Watershed volunteer events from 9:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 13 at the at Ilia Fehrer Nature Preserve in Berlin.

Volunteers will be assisting in new trail demarcation, which will require lifting fallen branches and placing them along a pre-flagged trail.

There will also be some trail clearing. That will require walking across uneven ground and frequently lifting more than 10 pounds.

All volunteers should wear close-

See DISCOVER Page 31