On Mar. 23 and 24, Mike Chillstrom of Boise, ID is participating in the Pulse 100-Mile Endurance Run in Eagle and is raising funds for Children’s Cancer Research Fund. Within just 32-hours, Mike will complete the endurance run in memory of the late Cal Thomas Reinhardt, the son of Mike’s longtime softball teammate, Tim. Sadly, Cal was diagnosed with meduloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer in March 2014. He died on May 27, 2015, just shy of his fifth birthday.
Cal’s cancer journey involved countless surgeries and hospital stays, along with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation – things a four-year-old should never have to endure. A father of two himself, Mike cannot fathom how devastating losing a child would be and though he knows nothing he does will bring Cal back, he’s raising vital dollars for Children’s Cancer Research Fund because it will save lives.
Every week, 38 kids pass away from cancer, making it the leading cause of death by disease among American children. Yet only 4% of federal funding for cancer research is earmarked for childhood cancers. Children’s Cancer Research Fund supports groundbreaking research that leads to better treatments and cures. The fund also provides vital family support services and advocates for childhood cancer education and awareness. Help is urgently needed to change the way childhood cancer is understood, treated and ultimately eradicated.
So far, Mike has raised nearly $7,000 for the organization and will do all he can to prevent more parents from having to bury their children. Committed to honoring the Reinhardt family, Mike embodies all that it means to be an active and selfless member of the community. He is family, too, even if not by blood.
Mike (left with family) is anticipating the race’s finish line and knows the moment he crosses will be extraordinarily emotional. He says, “I’ve got angels on my side, man. Those angels will get me to the finish line one way or another.”
There’s still time to support Mike and Children’s Cancer Research Fund in advance of the Pulse 100-Mile Endurance Run. To make a donation, please click here.
