Ross McDaniel

Ross McDaniel, a 7-year-old Mangum Elementary School student, died in 1995 of a brain tumor.Each year since, his family and members of the school community hold fund-raisers and run in the race as a team.

This year Ross' father, Andy, served as chairman of the event.Every year for the past several years, he said, his son-in-law has come to Durham from Switzerland to participate.That won recognition for greatest distance traveled.

"A lot of people at Mangum don't even know Ross," said McDaniel."It's been more than seven years now.But parents and teachers just won't let it stop.Fund-raising logistics say small events like Angels Among Us should end after about seven years.But new people keep coming in, and they'll tell you hope is the reason they get involved."

Mary Woodall's son, Christopher Cash, was treated at the cancer center before he died in 1994 at the age of 22.Cash's Western Carolina University fraternity brothers pushed him in a wheelchair so he could participate in the first fund-raiser.

Ross McDaniel, a 7-year-old Mangum student, died in 1995 of a brain tumor.

Each year since, members of the school community hold a fund-raiser and run in the race as a team.

This year's event has been expanded with the addition of a "Teens Fighting Cancer" block party on the Wallace Wade Stadium concourse from 6 to 9 p.m. Area teen-agers able to raise $100 apiece in donations to the brain tumor center are to be admitted to the event.Disk jockey music, dancing, refreshments and prizes are planned.Staff members of the brain tumor center have volunteered to chaperone the block party.

The effort was started in memory of Ross McDaniel, a former student.