2022 Denali Dash Raises Record $175,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital
The Denali Dash has benefited Seattle Children’s with more than $825,000 for research for childhood diseases since its inception in 2014.
This year’s record donation represents the generosity of Denali partners, employees, customers, and the community, who find inspiration in families such as Whitney and Jason Stohr, whose son Malachi, was born with a severe form of spina bifida in 2018.
All donations go to Seattle Children’s Research Institute, one of the nation’s top five pediatric research centers that provides hope, care, and cures to help every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible.
“I am very moved by the compassion of everyone involved, from the Denali employees to the volunteers to the community members who came out to support kids like Malachi,” said Whitney Stohr, Malachi’s mom.
With the Seattle Storm Dance Troupe’s kids as part of the energic musical scene, this year’s 5K race and family-fun event last Saturday also raised funds through an auction with another personal story. Brandon Dow, a Denali employee, and his service team created two Adirondack chairs and a side table out of wine barrels, to raise the donation by another $10,000. Brandon’s son, Aidan, has been in the care of Seattle Children’s for the past 17 years of his increasingly healthy life.
Today, Malachi depends on a tracheostomy tube and ventilator to breathe, and his condition requires around-the-clock care. Because he’s paralyzed from the waist down, he is learning to use a wheelchair to get around. But the most important thing to know about Malachi is that he’s an incredibly happy kid – he goes to bed smiling and wakes up smiling, according to Mom Whitney.
“We owe everything to Seattle Children’s, and the generosity of others like Denali who have embraced our family and other families like us.”