Thank you for your interest in participating in the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases (CFID) 2024 Bug Run! We are thrilled to celebrate the Run’s 10th anniversary this year, and welcome participants to join us as we mark this milestone and help us reach our fundraising goal of $50,000.
What Is The Bug Run?
The annual Bug Run is CFID’s premier fundraising vehicle with every dollar raised used to support the next generation of infectious disease researchers. The inaugural event took place on April 17, 2015 in Charlottetown where 22 brave souls laced up their runners and took off in the brisk morning air to raise money for infectious disease research. While the event was traditionally held during the AMMI Canada-CACMID Annual Conference, a virtual option was added during the COVID-19 pandemic as CFID’s mandate was more relevant than ever. As 2024 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Bug Run, CFID is expanding the Run to include both a 5km run or 3km walk during the week of April 6-12, 2024. Kicking off the week on Saturday, April 6, 2024, CFID is hosting in person Bug Run events in several cities across Canada. The fun will continue with virtual Bug Run events during the week. The grand finale Bug Run will take place at AMMI/CACMID in Vancouver on Friday, April 12, 2024.
Supporting Research
Since 2015, the CFID Bug Run has raised $169,000 for infectious disease research. As keenly noted by Emma Finlayson-Trick, winner of the AMMI Canada – CFID Medical Student Research Award for 2020 (with support from Bug Run funds): “Receiving this award really helped solidify my interest in gut microbiome research. It also gave me the chance to work with two amazing researchers who were very passionate about this subject, and who ultimately inspired me to continue with this important work in my career.”
Other CFID supported efforts include: the CFID Undergraduate Summer Research Grant; the AMMI Canada – CFID Medical Student Research Award; the altona Diagnostics Canada Medical Student Research Award; the NCCID – CFID Infectious Diseases Knowledge Translation Awards; and the Verity/CFID Resident Travel Award in Infectious Diseases. For more information, see https://www.researchid.com/awards-and-grants/
Make A Difference
Infectious disease research has never been more relevant than it is today. Even with incredible advancements in medicine, infectious diseases remain a leading cause of death worldwide. For the last nine years, the Bug Run has supported students, doctors, and researchers as they undertake critical research that has the potential to save lives. Supporting the Bug Run means supporting innovative solutions to better understand, prevent, control, and treat the hundreds of existing and emerging infectious diseases that threaten everybody’s health.
Boost Your Fundraising Efforts
When you choose to participate in the 2024 Bug Run, you will make real impacts on infectious disease research, share memories with family and friends, and get some exercise – in addition to many other perks! Email your photos or selfies to cfid@researchid.com, or post photos of your run/walk using the hashtag #BugRun10, to appear on our website and social media accounts. Participants are also invited to use this hashtag and share photos of themselves training for the run – which could result in more donations! In person participants will receive a Bug Run running hat, as well as other goodies in their Bug Run swag bag.
This year’s registration fee, for virtual and in person participants, is $25, and CFID will reward participants with special prizes for reaching fundraising milestones, including:
- $100 – CFID pen
- $350 – CFID water bottle
- $750 – CFID t-shirt
- $1,000 – Free registration for the 2025 Bug Run
If you are interested in being part of this milestone event, please register through Race Roster.
