FAIRHOPE, Ala. — A 5K run and one-mile fun walk/run scheduled to take place just around the corner will help children living thousands of miles away. The Jubilee Race for Life will be held Sept. 27 in Daphne, with proceeds benefitting Bayside Medical Missions’ goal of building an orthopedic surgery center in Porto Viejo, Ecuador.

The organization was founded in 1999 by local orthopedic surgeons Paul Fellers and Bob Eubanks to help children challenged with skeletal malformation. The pair began traveling to underdeveloped countries around 25 years ago in order to perform needed procedures as well as correct inadequate surgeries conducted by others.

Fellers’ wife, Flor, a registered nurse who assists in the surgeries and keeps the nonprofit group running without administrative costs as secretary-treasurer, said the race will be held the weekend of the Jubilee Festival, an Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce event.

Male and female runners will be placed in 15 age groups. Preregistration entry forms are available online, and they must be returned, postmarked by Sept. 10.

Day-of-race registration is also available, but T-shirt availability and size cannot be guaranteed for those who wait.

Unique awards will be given to the overall winners, and first-, second- and third-place honors will be presented in each category at the post-race event. Door prizes, music and refreshments will also be part of the fun following the race.

Fees for early registration are $18 for those age 18 and older, and $15 for anyone under 18. The cost to register for the one-mile fun walk/run is $12.

Additional race sponsors are needed. Many local and national businesses are already on board.

“People can come and run and take part in everything Daphne has to offer,” Fellers said.

Paul Fellers and Eubanks first saw children in need of orthopedic care when they flew to Haiti. They soon realized the need was so overwhelming, they committed to make overseas trips each year to do whatever was humanly possible. Among the countries where they also served are Kenya, Sierra Leone, Western Sahara, and Papua New Guinea.

Since 2000, BMM has worked in Ecuador developing a strong relationship with local physicians and professionals to improve the quality of care for children in that country.

“We realized we wanted to do more than 10 days each year,” Flor Fellers said. “We decided to start in that one place. From a medical perspective, there is nothing in that province.”

She noted children with abnormalities or fractures either had to lay in a substandard hospital or take their chances by traveling to the capitol city of a nearby province. By building a surgery center in Porto Viejo, BMM hopes to help children there lead a normal life.

According to information furnished by BMM, a child with skeletal malformation is challenged to lead a normal life. Their disability affects their ability to play, interact with peers and go to school. Their self esteem can be affected, and their opportunities are limited.

Although the services of the volunteer doctors are provided free of charge, there are expenses associated with the surgeries. The average cost to a family in Ecuador is currently $350.

“I think we have a well organized team,” Fellers said. Once a business professional, she said she graduated from nursing school at age 48 so she could help the BMM team overseas. She uses her business acumen to keep the organization’s affairs in order.

“Doctors are more scientists, so we complement each other,” Fellers said. “He (Paul) is in charge of making sure he fixes these kids, and he’s good at that.”

Dr. Greg Terral travels to Ecuador with the team, as does Blake Neal, an anesthesiologist with Thomas Medical Center in Daphne.

Dr. Fred Meyer, a hand specialist with the orthopedic program at the University of South Alabama volunteers his time with BMM as well, as do other orthopedic specialists who serve on the group’s board of directors.

Meyer often takes USA medical residents with him on missions, where they get to experience the conditions elsewhere.

Fellers, a native of Cuba who co-founded The Shoulder treatment center with her husband several years ago, said each person bears their own travel costs so 100 percent of each dollar donated goes toward the work they do.

The group recently attracted the attention of Samaritan’s Purse, the global relief and evangelical organization headed by the Rev. Franklin Graham. Fellers said, “They have come and seen the work we are doing, and they’re excited about it. They are so strong and have so many connections, and are partnering with us.”

Samaritan’s Purse is picking up the tab for the materials needed to build the $310,000 structure where surgeries will be performed, which Fellers said would cost around $2 million here.

“Two weeks ago, we were trying to raise that money, and now they’ve covered that aspect,” she added. BMM will only be responsible for around $30,000 in construction costs, but must fully fund the $275,000 price of medical equipment.

Fairhope architect Mac Walcott, of Walcott Adams Verneuille, designed the facility pro bono. Fellers said Walcott took the time to fly down to Ecuador and look at the site. Others have chipped in as well, she said.

“We are excited about this life God has placed us in,” Fellers said. “It’s very rewarding.”

For more information about the race, to download an entry form, or to find out more about the organization, visit www.baysidemedicalmissions.org.