After months of planning and collaboration between the Rocksprings, Frio Canyon, and Nueces Canyon communities, a very special event was held on Friday, August 25, 2023. The first Frio River Run for HOPE: Garner Goes Gold took place at Garner State Park in Concan to shine a light on childhood cancer.

September is recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. During this dedicated month, the focus turns towards the young heroes who fight a battle they should never have to endure at such a young age.  The gold ribbon represents all forms of cancer that affect kids, and they desperately need our support to help defeat this devastating disease. Childhood cancer is a stark reality, affecting thousands of children worldwide, and the month of September serves as a beacon to raise awareness, rally support, and advocate for research and improved treatments.

Kristen Satterfield, Library Director for the Gilmer Memorial Library in Rocksprings, was the visionary behind Garner Goes Gold and worked tirelessly to ensure a successful event by creating an opportunity for our communities to come together for an important cause and to raise awareness about childhood cancer. As the race coordinator, Kristen worked for months along with many key members of the three communities, including Kelby Bridwell (Garner State Park Superintendent), Jacob Gonzalez (GSP Park Interpreter), Mark Martinez (Fellowship of Christian Athletes Greater San Antonio-West Regional Director), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department including Blake Satterfield and his Game Warden team, Beau Hester and other TPWD State Park Police Officers, Garner State Park staff and volunteers, Becky Hooten and her Leakey volunteers, Kristi Powers and her Nueces Canyon crew, as well as the Nueces Canyon Community Foundation, and Jessica Hester (Brooke’s Blossoms) to make this event  happen.

Garner Goes Gold was truly a day and an event to remember, and served as a reminder that childhood cancer is a global concern that requires collective action. The Rocksprings, Frio Canyon, and Nueces Canyon communities did just that - they all came together collectively on this day to provide some hope for this great cause.   

For the last several years, Kristen has been volunteering for Brooke’s Blossoming Hope For Childhood Cancer, a non-profit, 100% volunteer-led organization whose mission is to encourage and empower others, especially children, to get involved and make a difference for children with cancer by raising global public awareness and to raise money for research into earlier detection, newer treatments, and cutting edge, targeted therapies and cures for pediatric cancer. 

Brooke’s Blossoms was started by Brooke Hester and her mom Jessica in 2011 while Brooke was battling stage IV Neuroblastoma. Although Neuroblastoma is easy to detect, many children are not diagnosed until they are in an advanced stage and it has fully metastasized. If it is caught early, usually before 18 months of age, that changes the prognosis of this cancer entirely. Brooke’s family hopes to one day change the current system and implement non-invasive early detection in kids.

Brooke was a small and passionate advocate for other kids also facing cancer, and she found joy in making headbands for them while raising money for pediatric cancer research. Brooke’s mom continues to carry on her forever hero's legacy and their motto: to plant seeds of FAITH, LOVE, and HOPE for cures… one smile at a time! They work with schools, churches, businesses, corporations, and other groups from all over to coordinate and provide resources for events that educate and raise awareness. Uvalde County Judge, Honorable William R. Mitchell, issued a proclamation to recognize Brooke’s Blossoming Hope For Childhood Cancer and the important role they play in empowering communities for this cause.

If you would like to learn more about Brooke’s Blossoms or the Hope4CC Be Bold, Rock the Gold Movement each September, you can visit them online at https://brookesblossoms.org or https://hope4cc.org. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook to be updated on how these organizations continue to make an impact in communities. If you feel called to donate, you can use the QR code below. You can also find more photos of events and of Brooke and her family on our website: http://thebroadcasternews.com/morenews