KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Chris Anthony died of brain cancer in February 2003, but he’s never far from his older brother, Matt’s thoughts.
Matt founded Head for the Cure in the months following Chris’ death and it’s still going strong more than two decades and millions of dollars later.
“He’s been my wingman in this since we started,” Matt said Tuesday ahead of the 22nd annual charity 5K on Sunday at Corporate Woods in Overland Park. “I think he would be moved by the fact that so many people’s lives have been touched by Head for the Cure.”
Rather than bury himself in self-pity, Matt said Chris approached his cancer fight as a chance to help others struggling with their own diagnosis — work that continues with Head for the Cure.
“I miss him, but his presence is so real in the work that I do,” Matt said. “I mention his name four or five times a day in a loving way and in a partnering way. People here know that Chris’ presence is always here.”
It’s even nationwide. There will be a Head for Cure 5K in 24 U.S. cities this year, a far cry from the humble beginning as a way to honor Chris.
“That first year — 300 people, $25,000 — and we thought we crushed it, so we thought, ‘Let’s do it again next year,’” he said. “That was the extent of the vision.”
Two dozen cities and nearly $30 million for brain-cancer research later, Chris would be thrilled and probably impressed.
“We’re helping people — whether it’s one person or a 100 — and, my gosh, we’ve had over 300,000 people participate in our 5K since we started, we’ve raised almost $30 million and it’s all grassroots,” Matt said. “That’s the cool thing, too — we don’t have big donors, but we have thousands of small ones.”
A labor of love that’s made a massive impact, raising money for brain cancer research and connecting those researchers to better collaborate on finding cures.
More than 5,000 people have signed up for Sunday’s 5K Walk/Run, which starts at 8 a.m. at Corporate Woods.
It’s the second straight record year for Head for the Cure, which is Kansas City’s largest and longest-running charity 5K.
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