PRESS RELEASE

Azalea Charities is Recruiting Team for Marine Corps Half Marathon, Hopes to Raise $150,000

Prince William County, VA, April 15, 2009 - Azalea Charities is recruiting runners for its team at the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, which will take place Sunday, May 17, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The registration deadline is May 4. About 9,000 runners are expected to participate in the 13.1 mile run through the historic city.

Members of Team Azalea Charities will be raising money for Aid for Wounded Warriors, which benefits wounded American veterans, and for the British Army Benevolent Fund America, whose soldiers serve side-by-side with U.S. service personnel.

The fund-raising goal for each runner is $150, which needs to be raised by June 1, 2009. There is a $60 race entry fee, which is non-refundable after May 1, 2009.  Azalea Charities hopes to raise $150,000 for its Aid for Wounded Warriors program this year.

“Azalea Charities is also recruiting runners for the October 2009 Marine Corp Marathon and  athletes who might be doing other events, such as 5k runs, walks, bike rides or triathlons, and would be interested in raising funds for our Aid for Wounded Warriors program,” says Col. Norm Albert, USAF (Ret), who is coordinator for Team Azalea Charities.

Those who plan to participate in Team Azalea Charities for both the Marathon Corps Historic Half and the Full Marathon on October 25, 2009, may register for both at this time. Their fund-raising commitment for the two events will be $500, which needs to be met by November 1, 2009.

About Azalea Charities

Azalea Charities is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, incorporated in 2000 and staffed entirely by volunteers who donate their time, talent and money. Since its inception in June 2004, Azalea Charities’ Aid for Wounded Warriors program has distributed more than $500,000 in funding, reaching out to vets from as far back as World War II.

Azalea Charities provides funding for the purchase of needed comfort items, which are disbursed across the country through the American Red Cross to Military Medical Centers, through volunteer services programs to the VA Medical Centers and to Fisher House rehabilitation facilities. In addition, Azalea Charities provided financial support to CrisisLink in Arlington, Virginia, for the U.S. Army's Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline (1-800-984-8523), which opened in
2008.

To register for Team Azalea Charities, visit www.azaleacharities.org or email runforwoundedsoldiers@yahoo.com.

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For more information, contact:
Frank Lasch, Chairman
Azalea Charities, Inc.
azaleacharities@aol.com
703-670-5238