Hundreds of kids ran, jumped and got moving on the campus of Southern Methodist University Saturday.
Together with more than 120 SMU student-athletes, the charity Move For Miles organized a giant field day for young cancer fighters, survivors, siblings and friends.
The nonprofit uses the power of play to fund cancer research for Children’s Health in Dallas and encourages playtime as a way for kids battling diseases to briefly escape some of their health challenges.
“The kids who have been sick and lived in hospitals and had surgery and chemotherapy and treatments get to just be kids for the day,” co-founder Stephanie Dagelewicz said.
Stephanie and Jason Dagelewicz co-founded the organization after their son Miles was diagnosed with pediatric cancer when he was around 1-year-old.
“We realized how important play was to all of our lives after that happened,” Stephanie Dagelewicz said.
Both she and her husband were once student-athletes at SMU and recruited current athletes to get involved in their efforts.
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“It hit home for us because they are one of our own and childhood cancer is so important,” said Sarai Monarrez Yesaki, a tennis player and president of SMU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The charity raised $13,000 for Children’s Health research.
To learn more about their mission: https://moveformiles.org/
