In 2023 I challenged myself to do something I never would have ever dreamed possible by running a full marathon. Anyone who knows me, knows I never was an athlete in high school or college and did not even start running until I was in my 40’s. The thought of a simple 5k seemed absurd to me. Over the course of literally, thousands of training miles, I have found an inner peace in running, that I often find difficult to explain.
In 2024, I am challenging myself to go even further, but this time it is to help others. This year I will be running the Run Disney 2024 Marathon Weekend “Dopey Challenge” (48.6 miles) in support of the Dragon Master Foundation. Dragon Master Foundation is proud to serve cancer patients and their families by creating connections and providing financial assistance, information, and resources. It was important for me to know that all the training and perseverance that goes into a race weekend of this distance, will support a cause that is fighting to end childhood brain cancer.
Unlike many charities that support one subsection of research, Dragon Masters core objective is to further children’s cancer research through collaboration and sharing of research and ideas, to hopefully find its way to a cure faster.
Dragon Master Foundation supports the development and continued expanding CAVATICA in partnership with the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN). The CAVATICA platform is a free, open access research tool that enables doctors and scientists to easily share, search, and analyze large collections of patient data. The CBTN is a network of hospitals and other research institutions who have committed to sharing their data via CAVATICA.
Dragon Master Foundation incentivizes a culture of collaboration by rewarding qualified researchers who choose to share their data. They do this by funding the Research Symbiont Award on a yearly basis.
Please consider donating to this worthy cause, and if you are not able then take a moment to share this link as show of support, not only to me, but to so many kids who are relying on charities like Dragon Master Foundation.
