By: Shayla Terry

Raeleigh’s Run, in honor of Raeleigh Jane McCartha, has been marked for Saturday, April 22 at Troy University.

This is the run’s second year in existence, and coordinator Andrea Frost says the event was formed based on the need to help McCartha’s family.

McCartha was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma when she was 16 months old. Today, the two year old has undergone immense treatment, and her condition is steadily improving. McCartha will be in attendance at the run this year.

“We had hoped that she would be there last year, but she had surgery the day before the run,” Frost said. “This year, she is a lot better, and we’re so glad she will be there.”

McCartha’s father, Josh, grew up in Luverne, and the community has rallied behind the McCartha family since the diagnosis in January 2016.

“To have the community’s support is beyond great,” Frost said. “We’ve been able to garner support from other areas, like Troy.”

Since McCartha’s diagnosis, her parents, Josh and Rachel, have worked to spread awareness about childhood cancer.

“Breast cancer and other types of cancers are pretty prevalent; you hear a lot about them and the research for them,” Frost said. “I never really heard a lot about childhood cancer until Raeleigh was diagnosed. Thanks to Facebook, I think childhood cancer has gotten more awareness.” McCartha has a Facebook page dedicated to her journey called Team Raeleigh Jane; to date it has more than 11,000 likes.

“Her parents know how blessed they are from the amount of people that are willing to help, and have been there for them.”

Registration for Raeleigh’s Run will be at Collegedale Church of Christ on Troy University’s campus, and begins at 7 a.m. The 5k starts at 8 a.m., and the fun run will begin at approximately 9 a.m.

Early registration can be done online at runsignup.com by searching for Raeleigh’s Run.