Chase a pastor, fight disease |

(WMC-TV) - We may come to know who's the fastest pastor in town this Saturday, September 15.

The inaugural "Clergy Chase 5K" and 1 Mile Fun Run takes place at 8 o'clock on Saturday morning at Overton Park.

The idea is to encourage congregations to run with their pastors and raise awareness about Sickle Cell Disease as well as promote healthy congregations.

All proceeds from the $10 entry fee will go to the soon-to-be opened Methodist Healthcare Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center.

Each church is being invited to raise $1,000 for the new center created by generous private donations, a major gift by Methodist Healthcare and contributions from the State of Tennessee, Shelby County government as well as the City of Memphis. Memphis has one of the the nation's largest populations of people with Sickle Cell Disease, a disease passed down through families in which red blood cells form an abnormal sickle or crescent shape.

It's much more common in people of African and Mediterranean descent.  Almost all patients with sickle cell anemia have painful episodes (called crises), which can last from hours to days. When patients feel a crisis coming on, they will be able to go directly to the soon to be opened Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Methodist University Hospital.

As long as they're registered patients with the new center, they will be treated in minutes instead of waiting for hours in a hospital emergency room. Quick treatment can mean the difference between an hours-long Sickle Cell episode or one that could last for days and require a hospital stay.

Local and state governments invested in the new Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center because it's widely believed the new service will save significant taxpayer dollars in helping TennCare patients avoid expensive days in the hospital.

You can learn more about the first ever Clergy Chase 5k by calling Ruby Fenton at (901) 516-0508 or by clicking on www.methodisthealth.org/clergychase. All participants will receive a t-shirt featuring the logo above.