Sadie Jo Smokey

The Arizona Republic

Feb. 16, 2008

PHOTO:  Executive co-chairs for SSBTR at Pinnacle High School are (from left) Daniella Marca, 18, Ryan McAbee, 18, and Austin Kurtz, 17.

Brain tumors have touched the lives of those recently gathered at Phoenix Children's Hospital. One couple lost a daughter. One woman survived a brain tumor. A student lost a family friend to the disease. Together, students and adults are working and walking to find a cure.

The young people in the room, wearing jeans and sweatshirts, are the heart and soul of the Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research. Leaders in student government, representing a dozen schools, they throw their passion for community service into the cause. Everyone of them knows the grim statistic: brain tumors are the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among high school and college students, after leukemia. Brain tumors can strike anyone at any age. Daniella Marca, 18, a senior at Pinnacle High School, lost an uncle to a brain tumor.

"This is a way to honor him and help other families who are going through this now, or who may go through it in the future," Marca said.

On Feb. 23, more than 3,000 students, parents and supporters will walk laps at Pinnacle High School in north Phoenix. The first lap will be walked by those intimately touched by brain tumors - the survivors of the disease or the grief of losing a loved one.

Steve Glassman, a Pinnacle teacher, started SSBTR seven years ago after a close family friend lost their 17-year-old daughter. Glassman said he found a cause students would champion and the community would support. Every year, the walk grows with those touched by the disease.

"It's unfortunate that we have to grow by tragedy," Glassman said. "My goal when starting this was to find a cure. Right from the start the students jumped on it. It's heartwarming to get these kids involved."

The walkathon is the primary fundraiser for SSBTR. Since 2002, the group, which has chapters statewide in pre-schools through university, has raised more than $600,000.

In April 2007, SSBTR distributed nearly $200,000 to national and Phoenix-based research centers such as the Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital and the Translational Genomic Research Institute.

Cleaning up after the meeting, Drs. Wendy and Marty Kaye explain that they lost a daughter to a brain tumor five years ago. The Kayes, who serve as advisers to the group, said their daughter's friends, now in their 20s, still volunteer for the walk.

"I like working with the students," Wendy said. "I like knowing this is a student-run non-profit doing something to fund research locally and nationally."