The ninth edition of the Run to Kick charity race, organised by the KickCancer foundation, raised more than €2.5 million for scientific research into childhood cancer and drew about 5,000 runners and walkers to the Bois de la Cambre in Brussels.
The organisers described Sunday’s event as a record-breaking edition, saying it once again showed how many people are willing to take action to support children with cancer.
The money raised will fund six international research projects under the Fight Kids Cancer programme, a joint initiative with partner organisations in France, Luxembourg, Spain and the Netherlands.
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KickCancer founder Delphine Heenen said she had seen 5,000 motivated people come together for a single goal: curing all children with cancer.
She said every euro raised brings researchers closer to better and less toxic treatments for children.
This year’s edition focused on sarcomas, the second hardest form of childhood cancer to cure.
Heenen lost her son, Raphaël, to one such cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma. He was 20.
According to KickCancer, there are 16 types of childhood cancer, which it says is the leading cause of death by disease among children aged over one.
The foundation says research into childhood cancer remains underfunded. Since 2007, only 16 new cancer medicines have been approved for children, compared with 200 for adults.
Singer, actor and presenter Niels Destadsbader is KickCancer’s patron.
