Meet Houston's 'Grape Nut'

HOUSTON It's not difficult to figure out the inspiration. He may have a funny name and be a funny man, but he has a very serious cause. He's poking fun at himself to help children with cancer, and he's gaining fans every step of the way.

He's not exactly Clark Kent, but to some, Steven David is definitely a superhero.

It all started with a dare. If David's friends raised $1,000 to help kids with cancer, he'd run in a purple bodysuit.

The money came rolling in, and so did the stipulations.

"So it became, if we raise this much, Steve will add a purple tutu, and then it was like, we'll add this, we'll add that," David said. "The day I ran, I had raised $2,200."

And he garnered just a little attention when he showed up in his race gear.

"Grape Nut. You look like a big grape, and you're a nut," David said. "And from there it stuck."

David, by the way, is a professional photographer. He was not a runner, so this was no easy task.

"It was very hard. At that time, I was at 225 pounds," David said. "But I ran because I made a commitment, and I think I made people laugh."

And the legend of Grape Nut has grown since then, raising money and awareness for Texas Children's Cancer Center's Snowdrop Foundation.

"Grape Nut helps us to put that laughter and smile on the face of anyone who hears about a child with cancer and also helps promote the incredible work that Snowdrop Foundation has done for us at the Texas Children's Cancer Center," said Dr. Zoann Dreyer with the Texas Children's Cancer Center.

Up next for David is the Houston Half Marathon. And he's headed to LA next month for a new adventure: Grape Nut is trying out for ABC's hit show Wipeout.

"The grand prize if you win is $50,000, but my motivation on Wipeout is to make people laugh," David said.

The "Snowdrop Foundation" at Texas Children's Cancer Center raises money for research, and scholarships and programs for survivors. Dr. Dreyer says every dollar counts.

As for Wipeout, it is just a try-out, but Grape Nut already has a lot of fans at Texas Children's Hospital hoping to see him in primetime!