Run CUMC for CHOP

11/14/2022

A solid run for Steve seen here high-fiving two of our honorary kids near the finish. Our team is thrilled to have run the Harrisburg marathon yesterday to raise money for Children’s hospital of Philadelphia. Thanks to all for your support!

11/14/2022

Congrats to our Male Master’s team for placing first, and our all female group for placing third in their divisions yesterday!

11/11/2022

Today is the last day to help us support CHOP in honor of these amazing kids!
Check out or page for more details on how to donate!

Best wishes to our Run CUMC relay and full marathon runners. It’s going to be a chilly race!

11/08/2022

We have just a few more days until our fundraising deadline! Help us reach our goal of $5000 for CHOP by November 11th!

10/19/2022

Meet Our Team:
Say hello to our all female team running the Harrisburg Relay on November 13th. This team includes Joanna Hayes, Meagan Lawrence, Megan Wardle, and Natasha Yearsley.

Team Run CUMC for CHOP has set a goal to raise $5,000 for CHOP in honor of three amazing kids. Help us reach our goal by donating using the link below by November 11th, and select one time donation for "Running Group Fundraiser"!

https://my.e360giving.com/App/Giving/carl45s102

10/11/2022

Meet Our Team:
We have a Masters Men's group running the Harrisburg Marathon Relay on November 13th. This team includes our coach Gary Ankabrandt, Mark Lemon, Nick Wardle and Tom Kaden. Come cheer them on at the event!

Team Run CUMC for CHOP has set a goal to raise $5,000 for CHOP. Help us reach our goal by donating using the link below and select one time donation for "Running Group Fundraiser"!

https://my.e360giving.com/App/Giving/carl45s102?fbclid=IwAR1XvJlayJEgeaNW0niVdwfx3KD-WmWVpw27PaPh61hD9gmsmrLClmDXXdM

10/06/2022

Meet Steve Myers:
He is our sole member running the full marathon on November 13th in Harrisburg this year!

09/22/2022

Come cheer on Team Run CUMC for CHOP at the Harrisburg Marathon & Relay. November 13th, 2022. Details below!

The Enders Insurance Harrisburg Marathon and Relay is on Sunday November 13, 2022. It includes the following events: Marathon - Runners (7:30am), 4-Person Relay (7:30am), Walkers (6:30am), and Half Marathon (7:30am).

09/22/2022

Team Run CUMC for CHOP has set a goal to raise $5,000 for CHOP. Help us reach our goal by donating using the link below and select one time donation for "Running Group Fundraiser"!

09/22/2022

Why we run...
In honor of Owen...

Owen’s marathon began on October 4, 2015, when he was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma (eye cancer) in both eyes, just 4 days after his 2nd birthday. Owen has gone through over 70 surgeries where he has gone under anesthesia, 6 months of intensive chemotherapy treatments at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), 3 rounds of radiation and a number of other treatments such as cryotherapy (freezing the tumor, essentially giving it frost bite). In his short life time he has made hundreds of trips to the doctor’s office.

During these 7 years, Owen and his family have made over 100+ visits to Philadelphia for appointments at Wills Eye Hospital or CHOP. Currently, Owen is in Third Grade, and can see about 3-5 feet in front of him in his right eye, unfortunately he has no vison in his left eye. Owen has vision services at school and is leaning braille and has started to use a cane this year for guidance. Despite his long battle with cancer, Owen is one of the happiest, most positive and funniest kids you will ever meet. His smile is infectious. Owen has no clue that his childhood is very different compared to the average kid. He thinks blood counts, eye drops, anesthesia and pain are all things people just go through in their daily lives.

09/20/2022

Why we run...
In honor of Grace...

Grace first visited CHOP 2 weeks after coming home from China with a 5 hour appointment at the International Adoption Clinic. This included visits from many specialists, lots of evaluations, and scans that gave us the most complete picture possible of her health concerns -- all translated through an interpreter for a 5 year old whose world had changed drastically from living in an orphanage in southern China.

She was connected with the Craniofacial Team under the guidance of Dr. Bartlet that brings together 9 specialty departments that assess the child in one day and make a plan together for the child's care and priorities. Throughout the year you then do follow ups with departments are necessary before a new assessment and plan is created the next year. This team approach is a wonderful benefit of CHOP that has doctor's agreeing on a plan of care, helps schedule appointments together and provides counseling for families as part of support for those with medically complex kids.

In the past four years Grace has had four surgeries at CHOP, with two extended stays for jaw reconstructive and ear reconstructive surgeries. This past spring she got braces that require visits every 6 weeks as the expertise of Dr Scott is necessary to work to level her jaw and teeth together that is not possible closer to Carlisle. These visits will be required for 18+ months for phase 1, and likely phase 2 of braces as a teenager. In May she had surgery as part of a trial for a hearing aid implant in kids 5-12 years old. Looking ahead she has at least two more major surgeries for her jaw as she grows and watching two other health concerns that may require surgery ahead.

We love that CHOP has leading doctors involved in innovative care/surgeries (her jaw surgery is only done by 2 hospitals on the east coast; and trial for the hearing aid surgery is one of five pediatric hospitals in the US participating). They are also VERY kid focused (tvs in every room, great resources for multilingual families, Wawa cart of snacks for inpatient families, and a beloved automatic ice cream machine, plus Starbucks next door for our day trips back and forth). Her primary department and team, Craniofacial & Plastic Surgery, has an annual family picnic last year was hosted at the Eagles stadium to see her doctors and nurses outside the hospital while meeting other kids "like her" as we played. For that day she asked Owen to join us and they had a blast together!

The funds given to CHOP help to continue research, advancing care and supporting families in need. We are blessed to be close enough to CHOP that while the turnpike and day expenses aren't cheap, we don't have to do many overnight hotels and fly to appointments which some families are required to do for this exceptional care.