5K Walk Set to Raise Funds for William McMurray

Submitted story by the Don't Worry Be Happy Foundation:

A 5K walk has been scheduled for Sunday, August 26, 2012 by , a 501c3 nonprofit. The event will start at 9 a.m. at , the DWBH Foundation’s brick and mortar store located at 1042 N. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.

William McMurray is the 11-year-old son of Sabrina and Michael McMurray ( owners), who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor called brain stem glioma in mid-July.

“When the McMurrays contacted us about adding William to our site, we were more than happy to do so. We hope residents of Laguna Beach will continue their amazing support of this family and join us in sporting our shirts to help remind the McMurrays to stay positive, filled with hope, and just Don’t Worry Be Happy!” said DWBH Foundation Founders Jim and Mina Buc.

There will be three starting times for the walk, 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., in order to accommodate schedules for early starters and those coming from out of town to support other Don’t Worry Be Happy Warriors included in the Warrior Walk. The walk will start at The HAPPY Place, continue to The Penguin Café (981 S. Coast Highway) and back. The distance is approximately 3 miles.

There will be water and snack stations along the route provided by participating businesses and groups of supporters. Live music and a wine and food bar will highlight the event, and Surfergirl Sunscreen will support the fundraiser by offering sunscreen products.

Registrants should begin recruiting sponsors immediately to pledge money for William. Sponsors can go online to www.DWBHshirts.com and make their pledge choosing William McMurray as their recipient or any of the 34 warriors on the Warrior’s Page.

Participants can register by purchasing a shirt, made in the USA, at The HAPPY Place anytime between now and the morning of the walk, or online at www.DWBHshirts.com. All participants are required to wear their Don’t Worry Be Happy Shirts on the walk as a visual show of the community’s ongoing heroic support of William McMurray and his family. Shirts start at $30 and go up depending on the styles selected. Sizes are available in Men & Women’s (including 2XL, 3XL, 4XL), Kids and Infant.

Additional clothing items and accessories are available to choose from such as unisex hoodies, iPhone covers, tanks, Flashdance long-sleeve pullovers, pants, hats and scarves, wristbands and totes and canvas bags. 100% tax deductible donations and proceeds of all items sold for the Warriors Walk with William 5K event will go to help the McMurray family with bills and medical expenses.

The inspiration for creating the Don’t Worry Be Happy shirts and Foundation came from their nephew Kevin Carlberg who was diagnosed with a Stage 4 glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer, in November of 2002 when he was 26 years old. Carlberg, a lead singer and guitar player, was on the road with his band, Pseudopod (they had just won the best college band in America competition), when he experienced severe head pain.

He wore his vintage Don’t Worry Be Happy shirt all the time. He said, “When you go to the hospital you see a lot of people who are bummed out. I’m happy and I want to make other people happy too.”

His ever-in-the-now philosophy helped him maintain his sunny disposition and live six years longer than the doctors predicted. “Life is a marathon, and we take it one step at a time.”

Don’t Worry Be Happy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families struggling with cancer pay their bills and medical expenses. Every shirt sold helps pay the bills of someone financially struggling while they battle cancer.