By Sowmya Krishna and Erin Zhang, Appmaster and Staff Reporter
On Nov. 17 at 9 a.m., Wilson Farm Park buzzed with a large crowd of people awaiting the start of a 5K run and one-mile walk. More than 100 runners participated in the events, raising over $4,000 for Ryan’s Case for Smiles, a national charity that supports children with cancer.
Senior Ryan Crill first worked Ryan’s Case for Smiles during an Eagle Scout project, where he made coping boxes for siblings of children with cancer as a way to make them feel included and valued. Crill’s own personal experiences inspired him to start Stoga’s Case For Smiles, a Conestoga chapter of the larger organization. A member of his Boy Scout troop passed away from bone cancer, and his sister’s friend suffered from osteosarcoma.
“I realized how hard (her friend’s cancer) was for my sister, so I wanted to help somehow,” Crill said. “Thankfully, she’s cancer-free now, and I’ve wanted to just keep helping because it’s such a great organization that does so much good.”
The club invited people from all different age categories, from children to senior citizens. The tickets for the event costed $30 each, and T-shirt sales and sponsor companies also contributed to the fundraising. The money helped purchase of fabric to sew pillowcases to brighten the hospital rooms of children with cancer and to create coping boxes to help support their siblings.
Many students participated in the event to support Ryan’s Case for Smiles. Sophomore and runner Kevin Lukes decided to run after hearing about the organization’s mission and goals.
“It (the run) is for a real good cause,” Lukes said. “I think (Ryan’s Case for Smiles) is a really good organization, and it helps a lot of kids.”
Crill hopes the event will generate more interest in Ryan’s Case for Smiles. He wants the club at ’Stoga to continue to grow.
“It’d be awesome to have all these people come together, sort of spread some awareness about Case for Smiles and get people involved,” Crill said. “Hopefully just doing this has raised some awareness around the school about (the cause) and in the community.”
Sowmya Krishna can be reached at [email protected].
Erin Zhang can be reached at [email protected].
