Regent Square Man Honors Aunt with Fundraiser, Fun

When Morgan McLane’s aunt died as a result of Huntington’s Disease, he decided to take action.

A member of the North Hills Sports Car Club, McLane of Regent Square started “Fast Track,” an annual fundraiser for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

“I was part of the North Hills Sports Car Club and wanted to see if I could turn one of the races that we do into an auto cross fundraiser—and we did,” McLane said. “The first year, we raised $3,500 and that’s with almost zero involvement with any sort of association or society.”

Huntington’s Disease is a hereditary, neurological degenerative disease that works its way through the brain, deactivating it. McLane’s aunt, Barbara Lee Scott, passed away April 15, 2010.

Last year, Fast Track brought in more than $11,000 in funds.

“Watching it grow has been absolutely amazing,” McLane said. “This year, with all of the help and people I have met within the past five years, the involvement of others is what surprises me—friends, family new people and the businesses that want to get involved with what I am doing.”

Fast Track kicks off at 8 a.m. May 27 at the North Park Pool Parking Lot, offering a long list of events, including a raffle that includes more than 60 donated baskets, races, a 50/50 and more.
His aunt’s memory lives on in the annual event and McLane continues to draw inspiration from her struggle.

“Watching her deteriorate put me over the line and I thought that I could do some good with what I had and the resources that I had, as far as just saying, ‘hey, let’s see what we can do.”

Food will be prepared by Chef Michael Kohlman of Forest Hills while kids activities also will be provided.

Fun Runs at the end of the race that allow anyone to ride along with a driver on the course will be available for $1.

“I am looking forward to just the size of it—things have grown out of my control,” he said. “There’s going to be a great deal of things happening this year that haven’t happened in the past. We are going to be shooting a short movie throughout the day, we are going to have more food than I think we know what to do with and we always seem to have a lot of baskets.”

For more information, visit http://www.fasttrackpgh.com/.