This year marks our family's 20th year participating in a St. Baldrick’s event.

Our family started this journey in 2007 when our oldest son, Finn, joined a head-shaving fundraiser organized by his Cub Scout Pack. What began as a simple act of service quickly became something much more meaningful.

Less than three years later, our close friends, the Gerbers, were confronted with the monster that is pediatric cancer. Their nine-year-old son Teddy was diagnosed with undifferentiated sarcoma. As I wrote at the time:

"The words ‘nine-year-old’ and ‘cancer’ should never appear in the same sentence."

Our community rallied, Team Teddy was born, and that first year, more than $75,000 was raised for childhood cancer research. Teddy fought with incredible courage, but in August of 2010, he became an angel.

This year carries an even deeper weight for our community with the sudden loss of our friend Bill Gerber, Teddy’s father, to glioblastoma. For the past 17 years, Bill, Jessica, John, and Jillian have been the heart and soul of this event. Bill not only championed our local St. Baldrick’s effort - he also served on the organization’s board, dedicating countless hours to the mission.

Because of the work of people like Bill and the generosity of this community, Team Teddy has raised $1.8 million to fund fellowships, clinical trials, and life-saving pediatric cancer research.

This year’s event will feel different without Bill. But Bill and Teddy's impact lives on in every dollar raised and every child whose future may be changed because of it.

We are at a pivotal moment in the fight against cancer. New technologies and breakthroughs are accelerating research at a pace never seen before. But progress only happens if we continue to fund it.

This year, I’m asking everyone to dig a little deeper. Let’s honor Teddy. Let’s honor Bill. And let’s keep pushing toward the day when no family has to hear the words “your loved one has cancer.”

Thank you for your support.