Notable Numbers
- 245+ Walkers and Runners
- 22 Walk Teams
- over $42,000 raised
- more than 55 volunteers
Congratulations to volunteer organizers Chair Stephanie Hamm, Bill Hamm, Ruth Cuadra, Mary Elaine Valenzuela, Susan Kass, Gig Hollabough, Sheila Wilkerson, Lindsay Wilkerson, Carly Stoutenborough, Gus Quinonez, Laurie Beverage, Shahana Larson, Margaret Dascalu, Kathy Madden, Sharon Mettler, and Lisa Massacani for organizing another wonderful walk and 5K run!
Highlights from both events included:
- California patients and families enjoyed connecting with each other
- 5K celebrity starters Olympic Gold Medalist Mia Hamm, Oliver Wyss, Krissy Kobata, and Lisa Massacani inspired us with their moving remarks
- The Moment of Remembrance included stirring music and touching words from aplastic anemia patient Mia Stoutenborough
- Our silent auction offered exciting items for bid
- Art of Elysium entertained the children with craft projects
- Be the Match enrolled 15 potential marrow donors
The 5K run started with stretching exercises led by Gold’s Gym. The race began at 8:00 am and included 60 runners who ran the course along the beautiful Long Beach Shoreline Marina and Rainbow Harbor. Top finishers in each age group received customized Hope, Steps & A Cure medals.
Patients and families shared a Moment of Remembrance with a beautiful musical performance and inspirational words from Mia Stoutenborough. Then, we squeezed ourselves into our group photo, and the walk officially began.
The sea of red and yellow t-shirts flowed along the beautiful Long Beach Shoreline Marina, attracting the attention of the Saturday morning marina crowd. Many walk teams stopped to take pictures with the Queen Mary in the background. It was a beautiful course.
We finished back at Shoreline Village where every walker received a Bravery bracelet and a light lunch. The silent auction offered exciting items, and participants had fun bidding. The finish line festivities focused on celebrating the top fundraisers, sharing moments with our friends and families, and making new friends with the promise of meeting again next year to walk and run – for a cure!
