Run Royale participants running for local cancer victims

Justin Weyns and his mother Kriston.

Michelle Miller with her husband, Dan and boys, Colin and Ty.

by Royal Register Editor & Ted Escobar
| July 1, 2014 6:05 AM

Michelle Miller with her husband, Dan and boys, Colin and Ty.

ROYAL CITY - This year's Royal City SummerFest fun runs, known as Run Royale, will be dedicated to Royal residents Michelle Miller and Justin Weyns, both battling cancer.

Funds raised by the Run Royale participants will be donated to the charities for these two warriors. They will go to the Colon Cancer Coalition and Histio CURE Foundation.

The amount of money raised will depend on the number of runners. All registration fees for the race will be divided between the two charities.

Runners can do the 5K run or the one mile run or walk. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers, male and female, adult and youth.

Team Justin raised $9,000 for cancer research at the Othello Relay for Life recently, with two-thirds of that amount attributed to Justin's efforts.

Michelle was one of the participants for Team Justin. When Run Royale chairperson Cara Hoyt contacted Michelle about Run Royale, she wanted to include Justin.

Justin was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in December at age 22. When he was contacted about Run Royale, he chose, as his charity, the Histio CURE Foundation because of his buddy, Jackson Noftle, who has that disease.

"I was just struck with emotion with the fact that, even faced with a personal health crisis, both of these individuals were thinking about others," Hoyt said.

Michelle just finished her 12th chemotherapy treatment.

"She has been an inspiration and will be running in the 5K with her family," Hoyt said.

All prizes and t-shirts are underwritten by SummerFest and Confluence Health Royal City Clinic, Washington Fruit, Evergreen Implement, Columbia Basin Health Association, Saddle Mountain Supply, Simplot Soilbuilders, Les Schwab Royal City Tire, Saddle Mountain Wireless, Nelson Faria Dairy and CPC International.

To be assured of a t-shirt on race day, race coordinator Dana Hebdon asks that runners register by Friday, June 27. Forms are available on Facebook under files or may be picked up at Royal City Harvest Foods.

Registration may also be done the day of the race from 6-6:45 a.m. at Lion's Park. A complimentary breakfast will be served in the park from 6 a.m. to approximately 8:30 a.m.