I’m running 62 miles to help the American Cancer Society (ACS).

This fundraiser is very personal to me. In 2017, Lori, my friend of 34 years, was diagnosed with cancer. It changed her world overnight. The fear about the future, the challenging treatments, and the uncertainty that comes with this diagnosis are unfortunately known to far too many. On a personal note, I had just lost a very close friend just months earlier to another illness for which I felt helpless. I felt raw. Lori's diagnosis of cancer so soon after, and my inability to have any effect on the outcome, felt devastating. Fortunately, cancer research has come so far and, because of it, Lori and I continue to make our crazy memories and share life together.

The American Cancer Society depends on resources from federal agencies to fund research grants. Major cuts will undoubtedly have an impact on future outcomes for cancer patients. Here are just a couple of examples:

-$2.7 billion was cut to NIH funds in 2025.

-Trump's 2026 request would reduce the National Cancer Institute's budget for research grants from $7.22 billion to $4.53 billion.

For these reasons, I feel the need to do just a little part in raising money and awareness about cancer research so that people like Lori can continue to be able to make memories and live meaningful, healthy lives filled with family and friends.