Bridgeville team will get down, dirty to fight MS [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

May 23--Julianne Lacey would thoroughly enjoy the sight of her husband, friends and relatives getting soaked and caked with mud during MuckFest MS Saturday in Beaver County.

She would sit on the sidelines and cheer, watching participants run, swing, slide, slosh and swim through a five-mile obstacle course of muddy pits, craters and trenches at the Mines and Meadows ATV/RV resort in Wampum.

The MuckFest ends with T-shirts, lunch and two beers for adult participants, and Mrs. Lacey would enjoy all of that, as well.

Mrs. Lacey, 54, died Nov. 1 of cancer, and John Lacy of Bridgeville, her husband of 29 years, formed Team Julianne. The 27 teammates, including him, will participate in the first MuckFest in the Pittsburgh area.

MuckFests are held all over the country to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Team Julianne is the number two MuckFest MS fundraiser in the country, with $17,290 as of May 17. Mr. Lacey said he has another $1,500 to hand in.

"Julianne died of cancer, not multiple sclerosis," Mr. Lacey said. But cancer fundraisers "mostly involve running or walking. This looks like more fun and she would have liked that."

Many of the donations came from employees at Prudential, where Mr. Lacey has worked for more than 30 years and is now regional vice president in the life insurance division. Prudential matched individual donations.

Julianne Lacey "loved life" and her "greatest attribute was making every person she met feel like they were the most special person in the world," her husband said in the obituary he wrote.

Team Julianne starts the course at 11 a.m., but registration starts much earlier. All participants must park at a lot in New Galilee, where free shuttles start running at 6 a.m. Go to www.nationalmssociety.org for further information or call 412-261-6347.

The day-of-event registration fee is $100.

Linda Wilson Fuoco: lfuoco@post-gazette.com or 412-722-0087.

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