Runners raise money, fight cancer

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - It’s a yearly tradition, raising money to fight cancer. The Tops 5K-10K run/walk for Roswell Park Cancer Institute brought out 1,500 runners and a lot of inspiration. The theme of this year’s Tops 5K 10K run/walk for Roswell is “believe.”

Fifteen hundred believers pushed themselves in Williamsville to raise money for Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The race director herself is a cancer survivor who says she owes a lot to Roswell.

Tops Markets Race Director Kathleen Graim said, “What they've been able to do for me and my family, I will never be able to pay them back.”

The event, now in its fifth year, means a lot to the News 4 family. Diana Fairbanks took part in this year’s run. The event has personal meaning to News 4 President and General Manager Chris Musial, who lost his wife Michele to cancer.

Musial said, “One of the things that overwhelmed us in a big way, in a good way, is the sense of hope that everybody who walks through those doors at Roswell gets.”

Roswell Park Cancer Institute President and CEO Donald Trump said “What this brings to Roswell Park is not only energy and commitment, but also important dollars that go to fund the most promising research projects and wonderful quality of life improvement programs for patients that we ordinarily couldn't do”

Generous runners brought in more money than ever this year, over $170,000. That’s at least $20,000 better than this year’s goal and triples the amount raised since Tops teamed up with Roswell in 2009.

Many consider Roswell Park Institute one of western New York’s gems and it needs the community’s support.

Musial said, “They're doing a good job. They're finding ways to beat this disease, and unfortunately not everyone wins that battle, but they learn lessons every year.”