Participants in Saturday’s 14th annual River Valley Bank Hope Starts Here Challenge in Marquette are pictured. The challenge, which featured a variety of competitive and leisure events, drew about 600 participants and raised around $25,000 in support of brain tumor research and patients. (Photo courtesy of Curtis Aho Photography)

MARQUETTE — When a community comes together for a cause, the impact can be substantial.

Saturday’s River Valley Bank Hope Starts Here Challenge raised about $25,000 to help support brain tumor research and patients. The event drew around 600 participants for competitive and leisurely events including a half-marathon, an individual or team duathlon, a 10-kilometer run, a 5K run, a leisure walk and a 1-mile kids’ run.

“This year’s event was a huge success for us,” said Shane Kentala, Hope Starts Here race director and operations manager of the Brain and Spine Center at UP Health System-Marquette. “Once again, the community and all of our local sponsors stepped up.”

Proceeds raised from the challenge will support activities of the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center, or UMBTC, a collaboration between Northern Michigan University and UP Health System-Marquette that brings clinicians, researchers and NMU students together to advance treatment, research, education and advocacy for people who are impacted by brain tumors.

Through its research, the UMBTC aims to increase the quality of life for brain tumor patients and ultimately find a cure or better treatment options for the condition.

“The funds we raised will certainly help us to move the research on brain cancer forward,” said Dr. Robert Winn of the UMBTC and NMU.

The event’s proceeds also help support care packages for chemotherapy patients, Winn said, noting the center wants to do anything it can to support those who are impacted by brain tumors.

In addition to the funds raised by Saturday’s event, Winn said the center was grateful to receive a $1,000 donation Wednesday to support the chemo care packages.

Beyond raising funds, the 14th annual Hope Starts Here Challenge also sought to raise awareness of brain tumors and their impacts on individuals and families in the community, Winn and Kentala said.

“Our participants helped raise a lot of money and a lot of spirit, as people were out running to help advance science and research, but even more importantly, they were out running for people they care about,” Kentala said. “They were running for our friends, family or neighbors who may be fighting for their lives, or they were out running in memory for someone special who we’ve lost. The patient and community advocacy of this event is what makes it special and it’s what brings people back year after year. They are actually out there running, biking or walking for a purpose.”

Organizers are grateful for the community support, Winn said, noting that he wants to extend “a big thank you again to everyone who came and participated and to everyone who helped us to make this event the success that it was.”

“We’re really grateful for the support that we get,” he said.

The UMBTC is also grateful to have the continued support of title sponsor River Valley Bank and others that have supported center and the challenge financially and through volunteerism, organizers said.

“I don’t think we can say ‘thank you’ enough times,” Winn said.

For those who couldn’t attend the challenge but still wish to donate, Winn said the center can accept tax-deductible donations year-round through the Superior Health Foundation or the NMU Foundation. For more information on how to donate, visit www. nmu.edu/umbtc/giving.

For more information on the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center, visit www.nmu.edu/umbtc.

To view the full race results, times and winners, visit https://my5.raceresult. com/125467/.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248.