TUCSON, Ariz. — With El Tour de Tucson happening this weekend, more than 80 nonprofits will be benefiting. Over the years, the annual race has raised more than $120 million for charities.
This year, one organization that has a big group riding in the race, is Courtney's Courage.
Kathy Ogden started the group in honor of her daughter, Courtney Zillman, who died from cancer in 1999, when she was just four years old.
Now, Courtney's Courage supports childhood cancer research, and families of kids going through cancer treatments at Banner Diamond Children's Medical Center. Whether it's financially covering their bills when parents can't work because they're spending time with their children in the hospital, or surprising cancer patients and their siblings with personalized gifts, they're making a big difference. They help around a hundred families a year.
For Ogden, it's a personal effort that means a lot.
"Keeping her legacy alive, and it really helps with grief," she said. "Especially in the early years, it was very, very difficult. And to do something to help others, something I felt I knew something about, that I had actually lived and been through, I feel we have helped many families throughout the years, and it's just a warm fuzzy feeling."
As part of their fundraising efforts, they've been putting together a team to ride in El Tour de Tucson for the last four years, called Tour for Tots.
This year, they riding team has brand new uniforms, showing Courtney's face, and their mission.
Jeri Starbuck, who leads their biking efforts, says they're also hoping to be noticed in their bright colors this year, to really get the message out.
"Putting out the awareness of childhood cancer," she explained. "And then if people want to ask about Courtney's Courage and what it is, that's when we'll let you know what we do, the full part of it. But we do want to bring awareness to childhood cancer."
If you'd like to support Courtney's Courage, or sponsor them in the race, you can go to their website.
