“We had a very successful 11th Annual CHaD HERO! The energy was incredible, and we had a great participant turnout. Overall, we had 2,700 participants who raised over $775,000 and counting! Participants can continue to fundraise until mid November,” says Andrea Denhart.

Parents and friends think positive and keep going, running, walking, giving, and passing it on. There is an open door to giving, volunteering, and supporting these families. 

Here are a few of the stories that make heroes’ hearts pump.

Four-year-old Brady was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in 2012 and spent less than 10 days at CHaD. His mother wanted to do everything she could to give thanks to CHaD and the caregivers. Over the past four years, Brady’s team, estimated at 50 this year, has raised over $25,000 for CHaD Child Life to expand weekend services for hospitalized children.

Carry Perry of Bradford has been fundraising for the CHaD HERO for the past four years. She is celebrating her 5-year-old son Elliot, born at 25 weeks and weighing 1 pound, 5 ounces. After 120 days at CHaD, she says, “The reason that we have Elliot is because of CHaD. Every time I look at Elliot, I think about the symbolism of it, of being a hero.”


Cassie Cyr from Keene is the captain of Team Bayada. Her son Cameron was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of seven months and has since undergone numerous treatments at CHaD. 

 Her team fundraises for the Child Life program, she says, because it helps children and their families so much with the little things.



Another, Team Jasper, headed up by Leigh and Jacob Vincent of the Upper Valley and centered on their son Jasper, has teamed with the Pedi Surgery Team. Vincent was born at CHaD five years ago with numerous birth defects. 

 Less than 24 hours after birth, he required a lifesaving surgery, his mother Leigh says. Jasper was asked to join the Pedi Surgery team this year and will be greeting CHaD Hero participants Sunday morning.



“Jasper will be quite the inspiration for folks starting their walk,” says event organizer Sharon Brown, who is also the director of community relations for CHaD. 



Cam Marshall (he is in the middle in the start of the half with the backwards hat) finished the half-marathon for the first time with his family and friends. It was a very powerful moment for all of those who were able to watch. A little back-story, Cam’s Course is a 1-mile fun run that started nine years ago and was founded by Nini Meyer in honor of Cam, one of her son’s classmates, who in 2008 had just been diagnosed with leukemia. Cam was 8. He is now 5 years out of treatment, cancer free, and has been a frequent spokesperson for CHaD. Cam Marshall is now a senior at Hanover High School.

You can still give to this amazing race for HEROES!

(Photos: Start of the half-marathon and 5K race, start of Cam’s Course, and Cam Marshall finishing the CHaD half-marathon.)