BEAVERTON, Ore. — An effort to raise money to fight childhood cancer will happen in Beaverton this weekend.
It's called the Sam Day Buddy Run, and it's a 12 mile run named after a 15-year-old boy who passed away from cancer a week before his freshman year at Sunset High School in 2016.
Proceeds go towards the Sam Day Foundation, which funds research programs leading to better treatments for brain tumors and sarcomas, tumors that occur in the bones and soft tissues. As of September 24, participants have already raised over $60,000.
The run goes through Sam's childhood neighborhood, Terra Linda Park and ends at the Sunset Highway Bike Path. Each of the twenty runners are teamed up with a child battling cancer.
Dan Neeway is a teacher at Sunset High School. He's already raised almost $8,000. Three kids from his school have died in the last six years with cancer. For the run this year, he's paired with a fourth grader named Miles who currently has cancer.
"I have 200 students this year who have all heard about this," Neeway said. "Another 90 on the cross country team. I think charity has to be taught, and if I can set an example, then so be it."
Lorna Day is Sam's mother, and the creator of the buddy run. She said before her son died, he was so excited for his freshman year at Sunset. Now there's a bench in the hallway in his honor.
She said funding for childhood cancer research is crucial.
"I've lived the devastation of hearing that there's nothing that can be done," Day said. "I've also lived watching my son go through very brutal chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries. I just can't un-see that."
Day said last year, the run raised around forty thousand dollars for cancer research. To donate, visit this website.