PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Thousands of walkers and runners gathered on the Ben Franklin Parkway Sunday morning to help the fight against pediatric cancer.
Valerie Reeves was one of the thousands of people who packed the Parkway Sunday morning for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's 20th annual Parkway Run and Walk. The event, featuring a 5K run and 2K walk, raises money for pediatric cancer research.
The event had a fundraising goal of $1.5 million, which it surpassed before the day even got underway.
"We're out here walking with my granddaughter. She was diagnosed with leukemia on Thanksgiving last year," she said.
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Reeves said the courage she saw in her 3-year-old granddaughter Ava in her fight against leukemia inspired her to get out and walk. "It's been hard, been a tough pill to swallow. We had support for our family so we got through it," said Reeves.
She said Ava was recently diagnosed as cancer-free, so taking part in the walk felt like they already won a marathon. "It feels good," she shared. "We feel blessed. She's finished, she rung her bell."
The day was also personal for Richard Joco and his family of six.
"My son is a cancer survivor," Joco said. "He was diagnosed at 2 years old and stayed at CHOP for about 6 months. His sister is his bone marrow donor, so that's how he cured his cancer, and he's 5 years cancer free."
For Joco and his family, the Run and Walk has become a yearly ritual and a day of reflection. "It's one of our ways we show appreciation for CHOP and everything they do for our son and our daughter."
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