Our daughter, Ciara, participated for her fifth time at the 24th Annual Champions Run for Life, held at the Rainbow Harbor Esplanade on June 13.
We had family and friends from Northern and Southern California there to support her and other children who were or are now being treated for cancer or blood disorders at Miller Children's Hospital.
The day started off with a torch-style relay, where children or a family member would run, walk, carry or use a wheelchair, carrying a symbolic torch of hope to the next participant. After the two-hour relay, the fun continued with free food, carnival games and prizes, musical entertainment, and celebrity autographs, including the Laker Girls.
Our group, ``Family and Friends of Ciara Orpilla,'' raised almost $3,000 from online and offline donations to support the services provided by Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center.
Ciara has now been cancer and chemo-free due to the great treatment she received through the center, and this is one of the ways we are giving back.
We would like to thank all our family and friends who made this special event possible for her, and we look forward to doing it again next year. According to the Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center, the event raised nearly $350,000.
... Phillip Orpilla
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