Bets for Bert

UPDATE: Dr. Bert de Vries had a fantastic race. Many thanks to Bridget Green of the Kool Kid Alliance for doing Facebook Live pre-race and post-race interviews with Dr. de Vries. These interviews were live within the closed family support group on Facebook and many families had the opportunity to view them. We learned fun facts such as what he eats for a pre-race meal (cereal) and how many marathons he has competed in (this was number 6!). 

A number of Koolen-de Vries Syndrome families gathered at mile 17 of the marathon to cheer for Dr. de Vries. Families around the world were able to watch his joyful smiles, high fives and hugs via Facebook Live. It was exciting!  

T-shirts are still available and Kool Kid Alliance and KdVS Foundation will gladly still accept donations! 🙂 If you’d like to make a monetary donation in support of Dr. de Vries’ accomplishment, please donate here and send an email to [email protected] stating that you wish the donation to be part of Bets for Bert! (Sorry – we are working on an easier solution!)

The Koolen-de Vries Syndrome Foundation and The Kool Kid Alliance are thrilled to support Dr. Bert de Vries as he runs the New York City Marathon on November 4th to raise awareness for Koolen-de Vries Syndrome! Dr. de Vries approached both organizations about finding a way to use his race to raise money, promote awareness, support research, and assist Kool Families. Although these organizations maintain different missions and serve different purposes, they have joined forces for the KOOLEST cause – to support our KOOL Doc, and have a little fun in the process.


So, how can you Bet on Bert?

  1. Enter: Enter contest online by guessing how long (hours, minutes, seconds) you think it will take Dr. de Vries to complete the NYC Marathon (26.2 miles) for a chance to win. The Contest is over – the Winner will be announced soon!
  2. Jump for Joy…if you’re the lucky winner! The person who comes closest to guessing Dr. de Vries’ official time will win a fantastic prize –four (4) complimentary registrations for the 2019 KdVS Patient Advocacy Summit in Park City, Utah and a $300 Prepaid Credit Gift Card. The lucky winner and their family will also get to spend time dining with Dr. de Vries and Dr. Koolen while attending the Summit. If the winner is not planning to attend the Patient Advocacy Summit, he or she will win a $400 Prepaid Credit Gift Card.
  3. UPDATE! For a $20 donation, you will receive a limited edition KdVS t-shirt celebrating Dr. de Vries’ run. Additional t-shirts can be purchased for $20 each. T-shirt orders will be sent this week but will likely not arrive by November 4th. (Please note, if you’ve already given a $40 donation, we will be contacting you to send another t-shirt or issue a refund if you prefer. Please check your email.)
  1. Virtually Track and Cheer: Follow Dr. de Vries in real time on race day by tracking his progress online https://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/race-day/app-and-runner-tracking
  2. Proudly wear your KdVS gear on November 4th and cheer on Dr. de Vries virtually by using the hashtags #RunBertRun #KDVSdoc #NYCMarathon
  3. Cheer in Person: For those who live near NYC, you can meet up with other Kool families to cheer on Dr. de Vries in person. Make some signs, grab a cowbell, and get ready to make some noise! (Contact Mary Bridget O’Keefe Green on Facebook or by email at [email protected]).
Click on the shirt for a full-size view.

Click Here to participate and view official rules.