Two women from the nearby Montgomery County suburbs will be running as part of a relay team’s 340-mile trek from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day.

Tabitha Heit, of Fort Washington, and Michelle Viall, of Lafayette Hill, are part of the 2024 Run for 3.21 team of 21 runners some of whom will traverse the Mojave Desert in a race scheduled to start Thursday, March 21, and end more than 50 hours later on Saturday, March 23. The event is a fundraiser to support the Down syndrome community.

 “When I was pregnant with my son and I found out he had Down Syndrome, I had never known anyone with Down Syndrome and the National Down Syndrome Society was a resource that I found that educated me and prepared me to give birth to him,” said Heit, a Blue Bell-based realtor and marathon runner.

Heit’s 14-year-old son Cooper has Down Syndrome and attends school in the Upper Dublin School District. Her son Reece, 16, attends Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. This is Tabitha Heit’s third time in the race, during which she says participants run in pairs with a Winnebago following behind them. Each participant runs between 30 to 50 miles.

Viall is a development coordinator with the National Down Syndrome Society whose son James also has Down Syndrome. He attends Whitemarsh Elementary School. His brother Owen attends Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. Viall is active in the Montgomery County Chapter of the Society and has participated in fundraising events, as well as many efforts to raise awareness.

“The athletes who take on this extreme event demonstrate an incredible amount of grit and determination,” Kandi Pickard, president and CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society, said in a press release. “I am excited to see them conquer such a challenging course in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day, and I am grateful for the funds they are raising…”

For information, visit ndss.org.