Running for Children’s Healthy Future 

Running for a reason with Texas Children’s Hospital & Their HEROs

Each year, many individual and corporate teams choose Texas Children’s Hospital when they sign up to Run for a Reason (RFAR) as part of their Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon or We Are Houston 5K. RFAR lets race participants raise funds for the thousands of children treated at one of our four hospitals — children like Avaya.

When 3-year-old Avaya began having trouble breathing, her mother, Kelley, assumed it was her daughter’s asthma and gave her the usual asthma medicine. But, the next day, Avaya’s temperature spiked, and nothing reduced her fever or rapid heart rate.

Something was wrong. Avaya was rushed by ambulance to Texas Children’s Hospital, where a 6-inch tumor was found pressing against her heart, lungs and diaphragm. Thankfully, Texas Children’s has one of the leading pediatric cancer centers in the country.

Avaya endured a 6-hour operation that night to remove the tumor. After surgery, Avaya needed three different types of chemotherapy every three weeks for six days at a time.

Thanks to generous friends like those who support the hospital through the RFAR charity program Avaya is now a teenager who has been cancer-free ever since. “I’m always reminding myself to be proud that I’m a cancer survivor,” Avaya said. “I know that I’m here and I’m strong.”

Bechtel has supported Texas Children’s with their running club, signing on as a Corporate Partner through the Chevron Houston Marathon RFAR Corporate Partner Program. This partnership with Bechtel’s running team provides much-needed support for Texas Children’s.

A long-time contributor to the hospital, the Bechtel team raised nearly $25,000 and was awarded the Top Fundraising Team award by the Houston Marathon committee in 2024. We call these athletes that fundraise RFAR HERO’s and provide them special perks over race weekend to show them our gratitude.

Individual donors make a difference, too. One runner came from California to run in the Chevron Houston Marathon and raised $2,550 for Texas Children’s in honor of her niece.

While race entries are closed you can still fundraise to help us hit our goals this year as a part of the Run for a Reason family. Donate to Texas Children’s Hospital and you’ll not only be helping the families served by Texas Children’s Hospital, you will be changing lives here in Houston.

Read more about the Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason charity program by clicking here or donate here!

“I know that I’m here and I’m strong.”

– Avaya, a survivor of childhood cancer