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Lighting Up The Navy Yard To Fight Childhood Brain Cancer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You could feel the emotion in the air Saturday as the Starry Night 5K Run brightened up Philadelphia's Navy Yard.

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation hosts this event each year to raise awareness and funds in the fight against childhood cancer.

"There's people with tears in their eyes," notes the PBTF's Brittaney Shade. "There's a lot of love, there's also, unfortunately, some grief. Brain tumors are the deadliest form of childhood cancer, so unfortunately we lose kids far too early."

After Bobby Hill performed his now famous version of "You Raise Me Up," a special ceremony put the finishing touches on this moving event.

"We are lighting lanterns in honor of our brain tumor survivors, both the families that are here, the kids that are here with us, and in memory of the children that have passed away from this disease," explains Shade.

Yellow lanterns were for survivors and their families, blue represented the children who passed away, and white for the community of support.

Rich Geschke lit a yellow lantern for his daughter, now cancer-free after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of two.

"Got great treatment and great support from family and friends," he tells KYW Newsradio. "We're supporting her support the Brain Tumor Foundation."

He says events like this are wonderful for families going through what his did.

"When you're going through it, you feel like you're going through it alone and you don't have support, and then you actually step back a little bit and see all the incredible support you get," he says.

Starry Night 5K in Philadelphia ended up raising over $40,000.

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