When Louisville junior Sam Kimura was diagnosed with a bone marrow disease as a junior in high school, the Ronald McDonald House provided her family a place to stay while specialists treated her.

“I was in the hospital for two weeks and my mom, my dad and my sister stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati,” Kimura said.

Now, years later, Kimura helped raise money for the charity by running in the second annual Run for Ronald 5K on Saturday at Kereiakes Park, sponsored by Alpha Delta Pi sorority, of which she is a member.

The course was marked throughout the park and consisted of two laps.

Prizes were awarded to the top three runners in each age division, including a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, a Pandora bracelet and a voucher for a two-night stay at the local Marriott.

Mallory Chaney, philanthropy chair for ADPi, said event registration was up from last year.

“We had a ton of people take advantage of the website, but we had so many people come and sign up today,” Chaney said at the event.

She said recruitment was a big part of registration.

“I really have to credit our girls for that — for just en-couraging people to come this morning,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for better weather or a more beautiful place to run. It all just fell into place.”

With the Ronald McDonald House as ADPi’s national charity since 1979, Chaney said the run was a great way to raise money for the cause.

It was the charity that played a major influence in Kimura choosing ADPi.

“One of the things that first drew me to ADPi is that our philanthropy is the Ronald McDonald house,” she said. “I thought it was just an amazing connection.”

Somerset resident Patrick Jenkins placed second in the race. Jenkins said this was his first Run for Ronald.

“I wanted to come out and support my kids,” Jenkins said, whose son was also participating in the race.

Henderson freshman Morgan Davis, a member of ADPi, said at first she wasn’t sure if she would run in the event.

“I really thought about working it, but I was like, ‘You know what? I should go ahead and run it. I might as well,’” Davis said.

For Kimura, running wasn’t just about getting exercise or running with her sorority sisters.

“The fact that I can give back to an organization that gave to my family is a big deal for me,” she said.