Gila Ridge Student Council hosts childhood cancer 5K at Veterans Memorial Stadium

Gila Ridge High School’s Student Council turned Veterans Memorial Stadium into a hometown fundraiser Saturday, leading the Miles for Childhood Cancer 5K Walk/Run with a clear goal: raise awareness and money for children and families affected by cancer.

The event ran from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and opened to both students and the wider Yuma community. Registration was set at $10 for students and $15 for community members, keeping the event affordable for families and making it easy for more people to take part in the cause.

Runners and walkers were encouraged to wear yellow, a color closely tied to childhood cancer awareness campaigns. The visual theme gave the event a purpose beyond the course itself, turning the stadium into a public show of support for children facing cancer and for the nonprofit that will receive the proceeds.

Those proceeds were directed to the AdvoKATE Foundation, giving the student-led effort a specific charitable destination. Instead of functioning as a general school fundraiser, the 5K connected every entry fee to a recognizable community benefit and gave participants a direct way to support cancer-related advocacy and assistance.

Veterans Memorial Stadium also gave the fundraiser a familiar Yuma backdrop. The venue is one of the city’s most recognizable public sports locations, which made the event easy to find for residents who wanted to run, walk, or simply show support for the student organizers and the families the fundraiser was meant to help.

For Gila Ridge’s Student Council, the 5K showed how student leadership can extend beyond campus activities and into visible community service. The walk/run format made the effort accessible to a wide range of ages and fitness levels, while the cause gave the event a stronger emotional pull than a standard school outing.

With its yellow shirts, low entry cost, and local nonprofit beneficiary, Miles for Childhood Cancer turned a single morning at Veterans Memorial Stadium into a public demonstration of student initiative and community support.