Ridgefield Believes in Brooke Blake

Five hundred registered 5K participants and hundreds of supporters spent a beautiful Sunday morning at Barlow Elementary School Believing In Brooke. It was a day of hope, smiles, community, all in the name of Brooke Blake, an 8 year old Barlow Elementary School student who is battling DIPG, an aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer.

"It [the 5K] surpassed everything I could ever have hoped for," said  Kristen Cerulli, a Blake family friend and event organizer.

Five Ridgefield moms, all friends with Brooke's mom, Maddie, began setting the 5K wheels in motion only 10 weeks ago. "We are a bunch of moms on a mission; we said, This is going to be the best 5K ever," Cerulli said. 

Brooke, sporting running bib #1, crossed the finish line first. "Brooke and her mom rode the UTV, staying ahead of the lead runner," explained Cerulli. As the UTV approached the end of the course, Brooke jumped out and ran across the finish line. 

The first Believe in Brooke and Beat DIPG 5K raised funds and awareness for DIPG. "Brooke is in clinical trial at The Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Brain & Spine Center," explained Cerulli. "We have raised over 75K, and we hope to make it 100K!" she adds. All funds raised yesterday will be donated to directly to the Center. Learn more about the Brain Tumor Project here. 

If you were unable to participate in yesterday's 5K, donations will be accepted through the end of October. Make a donation here.

Look for additional Believe in Brooke fundraising events in the coming months!


Brooke is the daughter of Matt & Maddie Blake of Ridgefield. She was diagnosed in December with a rare form of pediatric cancer called DIPG. Brooke is currently battling to beat the odds by participating in a clinical trial at The Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Brain & Spine Center. All funds raised yesterday will be donated to directly to the Center. 

The lack of government funding for pediatric cancers has crippled the survival rate for children with DIPG in the last four decades. DIPG is the deadliest of all childhood cancers, yet the most underfunded. Private funding is virtually the only way cancer research receives financial support for children with DIPG.

Donate here. 

 

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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