Kathleen Stefanski, Ned Hyland, Jane Bacon, Brendan Ring and Cleveland Heights Mayor Ed Kelley celebrate the success of the inaugural Miracles Happen race at the post event at Nighttown.

The inaugural Miracles Happen 5K Run/Walk on May 31 drew 400 participants who enjoyed the scenic route through Cleveland Heights from Beaumont School to Nighttown.

The event raised more than $55,000 to benefit the Diana Hyland Miracle Fund, whose mission is to advance research for recurrent breast cancer -- focusing on new theories, trials and treatments aimed at managing the cancer and extending lives. The goal of the Fund is to raise $1 million to partially establish an Endowed Chair in Metastatic Breast Cancer Research at University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center under the direction of Dr. Paula Silverman.

“This fund will support research into treatment for advanced breast cancer -- breast cancer that has spread into other parts of the body, which with today’s treatments, is only rarely curable,” said Dr. Silverman at the post-race presentation. “Diana Hyland lost her personal battle with breast cancer last year, but her vision was to use this community’s resources to bring the best and latest research into this disease to Cleveland at the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals.”

Generous support was provided by:  Gold Sponsors -- Todd Associates; The Hyland Family; Pi Beta Phi; Hawkins and Company LLC; Edward C. Hawkins & Co., Ltd.; The Sherwin-Williams Company; Becky’s Bunch; Gary and Connie Adams; Beverage Distributors Inc./Conway Family; and, Fallon, Patrick, Molly & Dennis Gallagher; Silver Sponsors – Medical Mutual of Ohio; Third Federal Foundation; Stefanski Family; Nighttown; and, Liberty Bank, N.A./Bill and Diane Valerian.

Dr. Silverman added, “As Diana’s doctor, I know that she would be very happy with the work that this community has done so far. In April, the University Hospitals Board and Case Western Reserve University approved the Diana Hyland Chair, allowing us to recruit a scientist to make new drug discovery for breast cancer a major focus of the University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center. The fund-raising done through this great run and walk will help push this collective effort closer to our goal and will make the Chair a reality.”

For more information, visit www.dianahylandmiraclefund.org.

Mary Patton is a public relations consultant and University Heights resident.