Celebration of Champions

On Saturday May 15, Children's Hospital San Diego, where Steven's surgery was done, put on their annual event for children being treated in their hematology/oncology unit, basically kids with leukemia and cancer.

The event is a fundraiser for Children's Hospital. People contribute money to be able to sponsor a patient. Steven is pictured with his sponsors (above).

The centerpiece of the event is a 3-part relay, during the first part the families of children that have died run around the path. In the next part of the relay, patients run, along with their families, a celebrity, and their sponsors. Steven also got to have an assistance dog accompany him. In the third part, all the long-term survivors run.

At the end of the relay, he was presented with a medal. He also got to meet with Trevor Hoffman and other players on the Padres, adding to his collection of autographs on his Padres hat.

Ryan Klesko of the Padres purchased 400 tickets to the Padres game at the brand new Petco Park for the children with cancer and their families. Before the game, the kids who participated in the festivities in the morning went down on the field and lined the path from home base to first and third bases. Steven (difficult to see) is on the right side of the photo, next to a man in a white shirt and closest to home plate.

Family from both sides came down to attend the relay event, the first time we've seen many of them since Christmas.

It was a wonderful day, celebrating the courage of all those brave kids, our champions.

-- Kathleen