I am running the Twin Cities Marathon in October for the third time! Each year, I have ran with intention, and this time I am running to fundraise for the Cancer Kids Fund at Children's Minnesota.  The Cancer Kids Fund covers expenses for families such as: Needed taxi services, hotel vouchers, parking passes, mortgages, child life programs, a chaplaincy program, a pain management program, psychology staffing, social work support, a school re-entry program and end-of-therapy parties.

In 5th grade, one of my close friends passed away from cancer. She had been diagnosed with a form of Leukemia when we were in first grade.  Emma was the best! She rarely let her cancer get in the way of having fun, making memories, and belly laughing for hours. Whenever she would come over to my house, she would play with my “wishing doll.”  The doll’s crown had three stars on the top that were labeled: yes, maybe, no. The doll had a star on the chest, and when you hit it with her wand, the crown would light up and land on either yes, maybe, or no. We would make wishes for hours together, and back then I was probably wishing for a crush to like me and candy, but Emma would never tell me what she wished for.  To this day, I still think about the difference in wishes she had made at that age compared to mine.

Now I would like to make wishes for other children facing treatment. I wish for them to have fun, make memories, and most importantly, belly laugh. I hope that my small contribution and short dedication to the marathon can make the time spent in the hospital easier on children and their families.  With your help, help me make that wish come true! My personal goal is to fundraise $750 for the Cancer Kids Fun. Thank you for taking time to read and considering a donation to a great cause!