Hundreds join 55-hour run to raise money for kids fighting cancer
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Hundreds of people put themselves through a grueling 55 hour race to help raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer.
For nearly 400 people, the goal is to run 100 miles.
It might sound crazy, but to runners, there's a reason they put their bodies through this.
"My wife is a nurse at the hospital and she has a lot of patients, she works for a pediatric neurosurgeon, and so we're very close to the cause," Joe Fejes said.
"I'm thinking about Rusty," Dan Barta said. "I'm thinking about all the other kids as well."
It's a the Snowdrop Foundation's fifth year doing the race.
Last year, it raised more than $150,000.
"Last year in June we had a scholar dinner and we gave out 135 scholarships to kids going onto college who are survivors of pediatric cancer," race director Patty Godfrey said.
55 hours is symbolic because of an operation a teenage cancer patient underwent at Texas Children's Hospital.
The procedure lasted 27 hours, and was performed by two surgeons.
Two times 27 is 54, plus one hour for the single patient.
"I can't do 100 miles unless there's a reason otherwise it's just pure insanity, but you see the faces of kids with pediatric cancer and that's your motivation to keep you going," Pamela Olson said.
The goal may be the same this year, but some things have changed.
The race moved from Sugar Land to Missouri City's Buffalo Run Park.
There is still a course, food to eat, and tents for runners to sleep.
But this year, there's another element, freezing conditions.
"At home you're wrapping your pipes and you're getting your plants and your pets ready, and we're kind of doing the same thing. Our runners knows about it," Godfrey said. "We've got blankets, we have a medical tent that's available. We have heaters available in all of our big tents."
Just a minor bump in the road to help this organization fight back against pediatric cancer.
"Cancer is not good, and kid cancer is even worse so we've got find a cure," Godfrey said.
And that would makes a 55 hour stroll well worth it.
