Running

The Circle of Life: Catiebug for a Cure

by Laura Clark

“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
– Special Olympics Athlete Oath

When nine year-old Catie Hoch realized she would lose her three-year battle with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer, she bravely set her sights on a different goal. After several surgeries and endless rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments at New York City’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, she knew how important it was for kids in treatment to have a fun outing to look forward to on their good days. So with her mother and father’s help, she established the Catie Hoch Foundation with the initial goal of providing Kids Cash, which would treat kids to a day off from the hospital. When she was too sick to venture outdoors, Catie vicariously revisited her favorite places and compiled a starter list of fun family outings.

After her death in May 2000, her mother, Gina Peca and her father, Larry Hoch continued to follow her brave example by expanding the role of the foundation. According to Gina, “with her spirit guiding us, my friends and I decided to organize a run. Having no idea what we were getting into, we managed to put together the first Catiebug For a Cure 5K in September 2000.” That this was a brave undertaking on the part of Catie’s parents, who knew next to nothing about organizing a running event and had only two months in which to do so, goes without saying. That they attracted 300 participants and numerous sponsors who together raised over $30,000 is little short of a miracle. But as Gina explains, “everyone in the community had supported us when Catie was sick,” and they wanted to provide Catie’s friends with an opportunity to celebrate her life thus ensuring that her generous spirit lived on.

While the foundation has since initiated other fundraising projects, raising over $500,000, establishing a housing grant for children with neuroblastoma, creating the Catiebug Rainforest Bedroom at the Albany Ronald McDonald House, purchasing laboratory medical equipment and getting closer to the ultimate goal of endorsing a pediatric cancer research position, the Catiebug for a Cure 5K remains its signature event. By this time, you may well be asking yourself, “What are Catiebugs?” Well, ladybugs were Catie’s favorite creatures and Gina relates, “When we discussed dying, she told me that whenever I saw a ladybug I would know she was near me.” These days, Gina gets to see a lot of ladybugs and confides that whenever she sees someone in town wearing a Catiebug race T-shirt she knows that Catie’s spirit truly lives on.

Enthusiasm for Catiebugs has grown exponentially and last year the race merged with the Clifton Park Stampede, expanding their venue to the large Clifton Common area. Although the race is focal point of the day, the event has become a joyful family outing, a celebration of a life bravely lived. When asked what she would change about her life, incredibly, Catie responded that she wouldn’t change having cancer – because of all she did and all the friends she made.

So this year on September 26, Catie’s classmates, friends, family and neighbors will celebrate another year of reaching out to others with a kids’ 3/4-mile fun run, a kiddie carnival (face painting, penny pitch, etc.), plenty of donated pizza and, new this year, a Catiebug Tree of Celebration in the Common, decorated with leaves, flowers and gold stars and a Catiebug. These can purchased through the foundation and many are choosing to honor special people by purchasing one for the event. While not a runner herself, Gina is very sensitive to feedback from the running community and has established a separate 5K run and two-mile walk. With this innovative approach, the faster runners aren’t tripping over slower walkers and the walkers aren’t intimidated by an initial onrush of runners.

Nowadays, many people feel that their athletic participation in an event is enhanced when the proceeds support a worthy cause, but they are not able to commit the training time to becoming a marathon charity runner. Others are simply not comfortable soliciting money for races they would probably run anyway. Catiebug is the perfect option. Because of the incredible amount of money raised annually by this race, you know you are supporting a big-name cause in a local, community-based manner. Those who are more confident of their fund-raising abilities can solicit as little as $20 in exchange for free entry. While this may seem a penny-pinching move to the average weekend warrior, consider the “typical” family of four, with all four members either walking or racing. You do the math. In consideration of those families who would rather not solicit sponsors, there is a special family registration rate of $45, which includes two T-shirts.

And now the rest of the story… While Catie’s “make a wish” involved granting the wishes of other sick children, she, too, had a totally unexpected surprise. To take her mind off her treatments, Catie’s mom would read aloud from J.K. Rowling’s books, letting the magic of Harry Potter dispel the painful realities of Catie’s world. But Catie knew she would not live until the fourth book was published. Enter J.K. Rowling, who became not only a faithful e-mail buddy, but also spent hours on the phone reading her drafts of the then top secret, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. As Rowling told Time magazine, “I admire bravery above almost every other characteristic. Bravery is a very glamorous virtue, but I’m talking about bravery in all sorts of places.” Catie certainly slew her own dragons, replacing them with ladybugs. Six months after Catie’s death, Rowling donated $100,000 to the Catie Hoch Foundation. Much more than a monetary gift, this generosity, coupled with her permission to go public with this special relationship, provided the visibility that made future fund-raising so much easier.

So this September let the magic continue and help the good guys win by supporting the Catiebug for a Cure 5K or by purchasing a few leaves for the Catiebug Tree. For more information or to register online: www.catiehochfoundation.org

Laura Clark of Saratoga Springs is an avid trail runner, snowshoer and cross-country skier. She is a children and young adult’s librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

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