Race for Grace

The Race for Grace was organized by Aubree Tsurusaki with help from her mom, Karen Tsurusaki! Aubree was 14 years old when they started organizing and is also the creator and editor of this website. When her friend Grace Nelson was diagnosed with cancer in January 2009, Aubree and Karen wanted to do something special for Grace to spread awarness and help find a cure for Sarcoma cancers. They decided to organize a race in Grace's honor in which all donations and proceeds will be sent to the Rein in Sarcoma Foundation in order to help find a cure for sarcoma cancers and assist all of those fighting a Sarcoma cancer. Aubree and Karen hope that the Race for Grace will make a big difference and touch many peoples lives.

Aubree: left, Grace: right

You may have also seen things on the website about the "Committee!" The 2009 Committee members included Abby Lee, Alicia Arango, Mikelle Brown, Katie Grutza, Grace Nelson, Halley Purkey, Aubree Tsurusaki, & Hailee Tsurusaki. This year, the Committee sorted all the T-shirts into sizes, stuffed all the bags the partcipants recieved, and made all the posters for the Race for Grace 2009! We couldn't have done any of this without them!

Left to right: Halley Purkey, Mikelle Brown, Abby Lee, Hailee Tsurusaki, Alicia Arango, Grace Nelson, Aubree Tsurusaki, Katie Grutza.

The Race for Grace 2009 was held on August 1st in Apple Valley, MN at Eastview High School. The first annual event attracted over 400 people, raised a ton of awareness for Sarcoma cancers & raised over $30,000 for Sarcoma cancer research! Aubree & Karen have decided that this will be an annual event, so we hope to see you at the Race for Grace 2010! We are counting on YOU to make next year even more successful as this year was!

Read about the Race for Grace 2009!

Read the Race for Grace article in the Sun Current!

Look at pictures and videos from the event!

Share your feedback with us!

Grace’s story begins late in 2008, when she noticed a lump on the bottom of her foot. She saw a doctor and began undergoing tests to find out what it was. After having the lump biopsied, Grace and her family learned on January 8, 2009 that she had Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer. The doctors told her she would have to have 54 weeks chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Grace began treatment at the University of Minnesota Hospital in February. As of now, Grace is almost halfway through her treatments, and her scans have shown major progress in getting rid of the cancer! She has amazed her family and friends with her strength and courage, and has been able to do most of the things she wants to do. Her family is amazed by the kindness and generosity of each and every one of Grace’s supporters. Everyone is looking forward to the day Grace is done with treatments and is a cancer survivor, although sometimes it seems like it will never come. Thank you to everyone who participated in and volunteered for the Race for Grace 2009, as well as those who have made donations to Rein in Sarcoma. It is much appreciated by Grace and her family!