SPOKANE — Thousands of runners and walkers will lace up this weekend for the Boulevard Race, a four-mile run through Spokane’s University District dedicated to supporting families and patients battling cancer.
The race, now in its fourth year, is a fundraiser for the Community Cancer Fund, which distributes money to local organizations serving cancer patients. Last year, the event raised $250,000, and organizers hope to match that total this year.
“It is fantastic to see the community come together,” said Jennifer Cumbie, a volunteer with the Childhood Cancer Coalition whose two daughters were diagnosed with leukemia. “Childhood cancer is not a topic people necessarily want to think about, let alone talk about. It is devastating to think that a child would be diagnosed with a life threatening illness at such a young age.”
The Childhood Cancer Coalition, one of the primary beneficiaries of the Boulevard Race, supports families of children with cancer, childhood cancer survivors, and medical professionals who care for them. The organization provides emergency funding that helps families maintain stable housing and utilities during treatment.
Cumbie’s daughters are now healthy, but she understands the financial strain families face during a child’s cancer battle. “Providing those emergency funds keeps people in their homes,” she said. “It keeps their power bill paid so they can keep warm and provide a stable and safe and loving environment for those families when they are not in the hospital.”
While the Boulevard Race didn’t exist during her daughters’ treatment, Cumbie recognizes its value to the community. “Having people that you know want to bring that to that surface and not only talk about it and acknowledge it but to raise money to help our local families fill those gaps while they worry about their children, is invaluable,” she said.
Leslie Woodfill, executive director for the Childhood Cancer Coalition, emphasizes that the race’s impact extends beyond fundraising. “It makes a huge difference,” Woodfill said. “Not only in the funds that it raises, but in the awareness in the community that there are people in our community who are battling cancer and trying to navigate it gracefully.”
Three years ago, organizers introduced a tradition allowing participants to write the name of someone impacted by cancer on their race bib. The practice serves as a personal reminder of who runners are supporting and acknowledges that cancer affects everyone in the community.
Approximately 4,000 people have registered for this year’s Boulevard Race, just a few hundred short of capacity. Race organizers encourage anyone interested in participating to register immediately at boulevardrace.com.
The race starts at 10 am on Spokane Falls Blvd, close to Gonzaga University.
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