Left to right: Darlene Jones, Gabe Loeser, Kim Lewers
The Country School presented a check on Monday to Darlene Jones after she ran the Richmond marathon to raise awareness for A Kid’s Brain Tumor Care campaign and in honor of her neighbor, third grader Gabriel Loeser, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2014.
Country School P.E. teacher Kim Lewers promoted a “dress down day” for all students and asked that they bring in spare change to raise money for Jones’ campaign. Gabe’s third grade class counted every cent, which totaled $1,247.06.
For years, Jones has run the marathon to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. This year, she decided she would do it for brain tumor research, which is sorely underfunded—particularly the type of tumor Gabe has. And despite injuring both knees during the race, Jones crossed the finish line.
For his part, Gabe asked friends to donate to Jones’ campaign in lieu of gifts for his ninth birthday, raising more than $800.
“Gabe always has a smile on his face,” Jones says. “He has a big heart and is so considerate of others. It was an honor to run for such a worthy cause and an amazing young man.”
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