Maddie Luke

    Team Maddie will host the Third Annual Hillbilly Run at Lazy Acres Plantation LLC beginning at 7:45 a.m. Oct. 11. Race times will be staggered, with the first being at 8:30 a.m., the second at 9 a.m. and the third at 9:30 a.m. A walk begins at 10 a.m. The race will be $40. There is no fee for the walk, but walkers are asked to give a donation. All proceeds will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

    There will also be inflatables for kids, a pumpkin patch,  and a 4.5 acre corn maze, which opens Saturday. This year’s maze honors the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital. On Sunday, there will be pig races at 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Spectators may purchase admission to the pumpkin patch, which is $9 plus tax.

    On Oct. 11, admission to the maze is included in the Hillbilly Run racing fee.  

    “It’s a 5K obstacle cross. It crosses logs. It goes over a creek, through mud and there’s a hay bale,” said Dana Peavey, Maddie Luke’s grandmother and one of the Hillbilly Run organizers. “Hillbillies come out and chase you. Some experienced racers have also said it’s a pretty tough race.”

    Runners will compete in five different age groups — 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50-plus — for prizes such as gift certificates from Dickie’s Barbecue, Chili’s and gift baskets, among others. Racers must complete all obstacles to be eligible for prizes.

    “Normally our waiver would say 14 and up,” Lazy Acres owner/operator Michael May said. “But we have a lot of kids who are running cross country now.

    “We’ve had in the past some younger runners who were able. We felt like it would take a child of at least 14 to keep up, but figured as long as kids have a parent with them, this is a bit more relaxed of a run, not as competitive. it’s meant to just be a lot of fun.”

    May said kids younger than 14 would need an adult running with them.

    A silent auction will be held that includes a La-Z-Boy recliner, a Peavey guitar, gift certificates from restaurants such as The Rustler, oil changes from Express Oil Change, and a Miller Lite guitar donated by Magnolia Beverage, among other items.

    The silent auction ends at noon.

    Team Maddie gets its name from Maddie Luke, a 4-year-old from Meridian who has cystic fibrosis, which affects the lungs with heavy mucus, and the digestive system.

    Maddie’s mornings begin around 6:30 with breathing treatments that last 20 minutes, followed by wearing a vest that shakes her for 30 minutes to loosen the mucus.

    “She doesn’t want to be still and she doesn’t like to wear the vest,” Peavey said. “But she’s been really good about it.”

    Before breakfast, Maddie has to take three enzymes that help her digest fat and protein.

    She takes the enzymes any time she eats — two before snacks, three before a full meal. She has two extra, just in case. Twice a day, she has to take five pills.

    If Maddie gets sick, she has to do breathing treatments every four hours and take antibiotics.

    “For the most part, Maddie has been ideal,” her mother, Ashley Luke said. “She’s only been in the hospital one time. We’ve done everything we can to keep her home and keep her out of daycare. We’ve been very fortunate. As she gets older and gets out on her own, we’ll have less control over where she goes and what she’s exposed to but that’s why we want to raise money and find a cure.”

    About 70,000 people worldwide have cystic fibrosis. About 30,000 people in the United States have the disorder, and about 10 million more carry the symptomless defective gene for it. Maddie’s mother and her dad, Jordy, were both carriers. Doctors found the disease in Maddie because of a newborn screening.

    Advancements in research have raised life expectancy from around 17 years old to 38 years old in the last decade.

    The disorder, though it does limit her some, does not prevent Maddie from being active.

    “She’s in dance right now,” Ashley Luke said. “We basically missed the whole month of September because she was sick, and then there was this virus going around that was really bad for kids with asthma or breathing troubles.

    “We stay away from large crowds and anyone we think may be getting sick. We avoid those at all costs.”

    Online registration for the Hillbilly Run is available at www.lazy-acres.com. Organizers request registration be completed by Oct. 6 if racers want the T-shirt included with the fee.

    Donations to Team Maddie can be sent directly by mail to Team Maddie; 12134 Old Highway 80 West; Meridian, MS 39307.