Fight Like A Girl Rainbow Run benefiting TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is a special event honoring three Hidden Lakes Elementary School heroes who are battling cancer. On June 7, the Keller High School stadium at 601 Pate Orr Road will be transformed into a world of color to honor first grader Emme Nees, third grader Sydney McMahan and forth grader Grace Kight.  

On average, one in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer by the time they are 20 years old but having three children with cancer at the same elementary school is a horrible coincidence.  Emme Nees has been diagnosed with AML, acute myelogenous leukemia, Sydney McMahan has gliomas astrocytomas brain tumors and Grace Kight has Ewing’s sarcoma attached to her lung.  

“You don’t know what your child is capable of handling until you are forced to deal with it,” said Sarah Kight, Grace’s mother.  “There is absolutely no way we could get through this battle without hundreds of people praying for us and so many people at the school are praying, which means everything to us.”

“When you get a diagnosis that literally sucks the air out of you, you just want encouragement that there will be a tomorrow,” said Cheryl McMahan, Sydney’s mother. “It would be so easy for Sydney to be forgotten at school, but Hidden Lakes Elementary would not let her be forgotten.” 

The Fight Like A Girl Rainbow Run invites people of all different ages, shapes and sizes to unite together to raise funds and awareness to find a cure for cancer.  Participate as a walker, runner, individual or team up with friends, co-workers or family members to engage in some friendly competition to raise money for cancer.  The event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with registration and pre-race warm up with a colorful balloon launch at 8:00 a.m. to start the race.  If you are not able to participate in the relay, but would like to support the girls and TeamConnor’s fight against childhood cancer, consider making a sleep-in runner donation to the TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. To register for this special event please visit go here.

Sponsors include Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Haltom’s and Primrose Schools of Hidden Lakes. There are several sponsorship levels still available. For more information about becoming a sponsor please email Jbolton@teamconnor.org.

TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds for childhood cancer research, including Splash Out Childhood Cancer July 11 at Hawaiian Falls The Colony; Cure Cancer Jam 2014 September 13; National Childhood Cancer Awareness Prayer Vigil and Concert September 20; Color Me Green 5K and Caterpillar Dash October 4; and Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot November 6.  In addition, TeamConnor’s national Coins for Kids with Cancer® program raises funds in schools, churches, offices and organizations to help fund childhood cancer research.

Worldwide, a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes. In the United States, cancer kills more children every year than AIDS, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and congenital anomalies combined. Yet, the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to serving families, building awareness, and raising funds for research to help cure childhood cancer.

For more information on how to impact the lives of those affected by childhood cancer please visit teamconnor.org or find us on Facebook.