Pharmacists are banding together to help raise money for children in need by taking part in the upcoming May 24 Half-Marathon Derby.Pharmacists Vanessa Scott of Paget Pharmacy and Bernie O’Reilly of Dockyard Pharmacy came up with the idea of doing the race as a fun run.Their hope is to raise $5,000 for two charities the Bermuda Diabetes Association of Bermuda specifically to help children with diabetes, and Feed My Lambs Ministry, a charity started by Bermudian Phillip Rego, that helps impoverished children in Haiti.“In our pharmaceutical role we thought this would be a way to bond and to make an improvement on children’s health,” said Ms O’Reilly, chairman of the social committee of the Bermuda Pharmaceutical Association.“Kids with diabetes are usually born with it and don’t produce enough insulin,” said Ms Scott. “They normally get their diabetic supplies from the diabetic clinics in Bermuda.“We are aware that [the children] are the ones with the least funds and need help. This is why we decided to do something for them.“As pharmacists we know it is very difficult when people need their medications and they can’t afford it. We are trying to keep people as healthy as possible. We decided the fun run would be a nice thing to do.”Ms O’Reilly said she was particularly interested because her friend’s 14-year-old son had the condition.“It is a incurable disease,” she said. “He was diagnosed at two years old. His mother had great support from the Bermuda Diabetes Association over the years. She feels very strongly that she could not have coped if she didn’t have their support.”Ms Scott has been running for fun for ten years and started competing about a year ago.“It is very addictive,” said Ms Scott. “People in Bermuda cheer you on and support you. It is amazing. Everyone gets involved. Running is my passion.”Ms O’Reilly said she used to run marathons but hadn’t done any running for seven years before she began preparing for this event.“[My first run] actually went quite well. At the start I had to run up a hill. After I finished and had my shower I felt really exhilarated and really healthy.”She wanted to help Feed My Lambs because she volunteered with the charity in Haiti in February.The charity provides a home for over 30 orphans, and is building a school that will include a purpose-built clinic.“I went to help them build the school, but in the end I ended up helping them by running a medical clinic,” she said. “They didn’t even have basic Acetaminophen or Tylenol for the children; they didn’t have any creams or cough medicine.“A lot of the children who came to the clinic had low-grade fevers, worms, or dehydration problems. When the people around heard we were there they queued up for hours to receive medical attention.“We took toys, they were supposed to be for the children, but one 16-year-old girl picked up one of the stuffed animals and wouldn’t let it go. She’d probably never had one in her life. We had $3,000 of medication donated by Bermudians.“We are hoping some of the money raised from this race will help them supply their new clinic. That is an extremely worthy cause.“We hope to get at least $5,000 but we would love some of the big companies to call us up and give us more.”More than 30 pharmacists have signed up to run in teams of five. King Edward VII Memorial pharmacist Rina Beckles planned to take part despite not having run in the past.“I am more of a walker than a runner,” she said. “I first started with the Lindo’s to Lindo’s Walk. Then I decided to try the Zoom around the Sound.“Then I thought it was a progression to see if I could make the Middle to End walk. As it happened I wasn’t here for it but I would like to do a bit more in terms of running and walking.”The runners also hoped that the event would help give the pharmacists a greater community presence.“Pharmacists are often seen as being behind the counter; they are not really outside in the community,” said Ms O’Reilly. “We are trying to give the message that we are there to help. We have a lot of knowledge about diseases not just diabetes, but also asthma, heart disease, high cholesterol and many other things.”Ms Scott said sometimes people make unnecessary trips to their doctor’s office when they could have just stopped by their local pharmacy first.“We are trained in order to identify conditions that can be simply treated with just visits to pharmacists,” she said. “We are also trained to know when a person needs to see a doctor. Sometimes just a quick visit to the pharmacist for small things can help and we can direct them if further help is necessary.”The Bermuda Pharmaceutical Association has paid for the pharmacists’ entry into the Half-Marathon Derby.Pharmacies across the Island are accepting donations.