In October of 2005, a high schooler by the name of Chelsey Campbell was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer. After a record-setting surgery (for which the race length was chosen), months of chemotherapy followed by months of radiation, the tumors returned with a vengeance, and that amazing young woman received her wings on December 9th, 2006.

We Snowdrop because although Chelsey’s cancer was rare, childhood cancer is not. Each year, between 15,000 and 20,000 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States alone.

We Snowdrop because each year, more than 1000 children will die from the disease. These are our sons and daughters, our nieces and nephews, our grandchildren and godchildren.

We Snowdrop because only 4% of federal cancer research funding is earmarked for all of the child-specific cancers combined.

We Snowdrop because the average cost of childhood cancer treatment is estimated at over $800,000, leaving many families with insurmountable financial hardship.

The Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour is not just about running, it is about each of us doing our small part to raise much needed funds for pediatric cancer research at Texas Children’s Hospital. Our fundraising efforts also go toward providing scholarships to childhood cancer patients and survivors so that the financial burden of the treatment does not limit the academic opportunities of those that battled it.

This was my first year participating in this race and I was able to run 150 miles in 51 hrs. 

Fundraising pages will stay open until February 28th, so if you haven’t yet started your fundraising efforts, you still have plenty of time to help us make a difference in the lives of these incredible warriors.

#WhyWeSnowdrop #HopeForKidsWithCancer