The morning of Saturday, September 19, the sounds of running shoes pounding the pavement echoed from the Lincoln Memorial University campus through the Cumberland Gap raising money for children battling serious illnesses.
The Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) Pediatrics Club and Hematology/Oncology Club laced up for the Glow for Gold 5K in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with all proceeds going to Dolly Parton’s Children’s Hospital.
“Childhood Cancer Awareness Month felt like the natural time to hold it. It's when the whole community is already focused on these kids and families, so it let us add our voices to that larger effort and help raise awareness when people are most ready to listen,” explained LMU-DCOM Pediatrics Club President Kiley Moore (OMS-II). “For some of our members it is personal because family members or those close to us have been affected. For members not personally affected, they wanted to be able to educate the public on and bring awareness to childhood cancer.”
This was the event’s second year, starting as a small community walk and growing in both number of participants and money raised with $770 going directly to the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital hematology/oncology unit this year.
“Going into this year, it was something I really wanted to continue, because it is a cause near and dear to my heart as well. I volunteer at a camp for children who have been diagnosed with cancer, so this work means a great deal to me,” Moore said. “Seeing not just students but community members show up was incredible. During check-in, I was genuinely shocked by how many people came. Last year's community walk drew about 20 people, and this year we had over 55 participants and 16 volunteers. Watching the smiles as the community came together for this cause is a feeling that's near and dear to all of our hearts.”
The clubs’ current executive board members will leave campus and to begin their medical rotations next academic year, but they remain optimistic that upcoming club leadership will continue to run the event and foster its growth.
“Seeing that growth meant so much. It showed that the hard work and effort we put into the event didn't go unnoticed, and that this is something the community truly wants to be part of and rally behind,” Moore said. “We hope whoever steps into leadership continues to raise awareness for childhood cancer, whether through the 5K or by expanding the event in a new direction. My hope is that the first-year students who volunteered or participated this year found it meaningful enough to keep it going.”
Their mission is one not just of money, but of hope.
“More than anything, we hope participants walked away with a real awareness of childhood cancer and the families it affects. We also hope the event inspired them. Maybe in the future they won't just donate but will raise awareness themselves and spread the word about what people are doing to make a difference in this fight,” Moore said.
The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, at LMU-Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee, and at LMU Orange Park in Orange Park, Florida. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often-underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1.800.325.0900, ext. 7082, email dcom@LMUnet.edu, or visit us online at http://med.LMUnet.edu.
