Help Kali raise money

I’m running the Philly Half Marathon with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Runners for Research team in honor of Don Bellew, known to most simply as Uncle.

Uncle fought cancer not once, but three times in his life. At 41, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. At 63, colon cancer. And at 66, pancreatic cancer, which ultimately took him from us this past December. Through every diagnosis, Uncle showed remarkable resilience, courage, and strength.

Music was his greatest gift to the world. He dedicated years to bringing joy to residents in assisted living facilities, playing guitar and singing songs that lit up their days. The love was mutual - they would be waiting at the door for him to arrive. Even at the very end, what he wanted most was to get better so he could go back and play for them again.

That was who he was, always putting others first. Even in the hospital last year, he worried less about himself and more about everyone around him. He didn’t want to burden me with medical talk; instead, he asked about my life and made friends with every nurse who walked in the room.

And while I’m sure he would be worried about me running 13.1 miles - probably saying, “Please be careful, Angelchild” - I know he would also be so proud. Proud of me, yes, but even more proud that this run is helping others. The AACR is doing incredible work to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure cancer. 88% of every donation goes directly to the scientists and researchers working tirelessly to bring hope to families like ours.

So don’t worry, Uncle - I’ll be careful on my run. I’ll be listening to The Beatles and thinking of you the whole way, carrying your music and your spirit with me.