When Heather Grace Thomas first reached out to Connecting Champions in 2018, she was searching for a way to honor her cousin Victoria’s memory. A devoted mentor and intern, Victoria created meaningful bonds with countless children and young adults facing cancer through her time with Connecting Champions. Heather Grace’s initial goal was simple: to channel her grief into something purposeful. That goal has since blossomed into an extraordinary tradition – the Run for Vic.
“It makes me emotional because it was innately a selfish thing for me to do,” said Heather Grace when recounting the initial ideas of a charity run. “I wanted to feel better and do something for me, right? When it started in 2018, I would have loved everybody to jump on board right away, but it was really just for me to do something to connect with Vic after she had left. Now it’s so powerful that it’s inspired so many other people, particularly in our family, to use a terrible day of remembering that she’s not here anymore as this positive fun. We have so much fun doing this.”
The Run for Vic began with just six or seven family members participating as part of the Pittsburgh Marathon. Over the years, the race has grown, adapting to challenges like the pandemic by becoming a virtual event where participants could run or walk any distance, anywhere.
“Every time we show up to that race line, it feels warm, fuzzy, sunny, and hopeful; but it also feels heavy,” Heather Grace said. “The moment you start to move your body and run, everything becomes lighter and joyful, like you’re just really embodying who Vic was, which was a ray of sun. Seeing everybody together in this exact same moment at this exact same time thinking about this person, that is so special. We take that energy and momentum and use it for good.”
Now celebrating its seventh year, the Run for Vic has become a staple in Connecting Champions, raising over $40,000 in the process. “We’ve started to create a community,” said Matthew Hammel, Victoria’s cousin and Connecting Champions Regional Program Coordinator. “We’re welcoming anyone to come and honor our cousin but mainly give back to this awesome organization. All Victoria wanted to do was give back to people and create joy, and that’s what we’re trying to create in this run.”
This year’s run is focused on sharing your purpose for participating. “I’m not here to tell you your why; you should come to show your why,” said Heather Grace. “I encourage anybody who has a why to act on it and do something about it. A great way to do something about it is signing up and joining us in a walk or run. That’s where you can establish what that why is. You can have many whys. You can join our why in memory of Vic, or you can have your own. If you are looking for an outlet of hope and joy, having a purpose behind pain you might have experienced, come join us virtually or in-person because I promise it’s one of the most inspiring days you’ll have.”
The 2025 Run for Vic will take place in Pittsburgh and virtually on Sunday, July 27. To learn more and sign up, you can go to ConnectingChampions.org/RunForVic. Register by June 30 to secure your exclusive t-shirt and swag bag.
