PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- May is Huntington's Disease Awareness Month, but one local man has been spreading awareness for decades.
Alexander Andres started Charlotte's Run in 1990 in honor of his mother who was diagnosed with the disease.
Years later, three of his siblings were also diagnosed. Unfortunately, they all passed away.
Huntington's Disease is a rare, inherited brain disease that causes deterioration in a person's physical, mental and emotional abilities, according to the Huntington's Disease Society of America.
It's known as a family disease because every child of a parent with the disease has a 50 percent chance of inheriting it.
Most people develop symptoms between ages 30 and 50, but it can also occur in children.
Andres has spent years educating the community and raising money to find a cure through Charlotte's Run.
The run is back in person this year, after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic.
They're honoring Tim "Big Dog" Rakovan who was diagnosed with the disease and died last year.