Press Releases

CHAPEL HILL, NC, UNITED STATES - Jun 27, 2017 - For Immediate Release 

Rho Celebrates 10th Annual Smile Train Triathlon, Surpasses Goal of $300,000

Rho CEO Russ Helms is Eight-time Triathlete, Born with Cleft Lip and Palate

Chapel Hill, NC  ̶  June 25, 2017  ̶  Rho, a Chapel Hill-based full-service contract research organization (CRO) focused on bringing new products to market through a complete range of product development services, today helped mark the 10th annual Smile Train Triathlon as Title Sponsor of the event.  CEO Russ Helms has participated in the event the last eight years, supporting a cause that is near and dear to his heart.  Both he and his daughter Mia were born with cleft lip and palate.

The 10th annual Rho Smile Train Triathlon took place on Sunday, June 25, at the Heritage community of Wake Forest, North Carolina. The event is a USA Triathlon (USAT) sanctioned race comprised of a 250 meter pool swim, 12 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run. What makes this event so special is 100 percent of the athlete registration fees are given directly to Smile Train. Since 2008, the race has generated over $280,000 in donations. Today’s race helped organizers surpass the $300,000 mark in honor of the 10-year anniversary. 

“Rho is extremely proud to once again be the Title Sponsor of the Smile Train Triathlon,” said Russ Helms, co-chief executive officer, Rho. “This year is even more special, because it is the 10th annual race, and my eighth year of participation.  As someone who was born with cleft lip and palate, as well as my daughter, I want to give the opportunity to children all over the world to have the life-changing surgery that I was fortunate enough to have.”

Smile Train is an international children’s charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Millions of children in developing countries with unrepaired clefts live in shame, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Smile Train’s sustainable model provides training and funding to empower local doctors in more than 85 developing countries to provide 100 percent free cleft repair surgery in their communities.

For more information about the Rho Smile Train Triathlon, please visit MilesIntoSmiles.com.  Visit www.rhoworld.com to learn more about Rho.

About Rho

Rho, a privately-held, contract research organization (CRO) located in Chapel Hill, NC, provides a full range of clinical research services across the entire drug development process. For more than 32 years, Rho has been a trusted partner to some of the industry’s leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies as well as academic and government organizations. Our commitment to excellence, our innovative technologies, and our therapeutic expertise accelerate time to market, maximize returns on investment, and lead to an exceptional customer experience. Please follow us on Twitter.

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