KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers the sporting goods business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.

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Chris Anthony died of brain cancer in February 2003, but his thoughts are always with his older brother Matt.

Matt founded Head for the Cure in the months after Chris’ death, and more than two decades and millions of dollars later, the company is still going strong.

“He’s been my wingman since the beginning,” Matt said Tuesday before the 22nd annual charity 5K run Sunday at Corporate Woods in Overland Park. “I think he would be moved that Head for the Cure has touched so many lives.”

Courtesy of Head for the Cure

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Matt says Chris saw his battle with cancer as an opportunity to help others struggling with their own diagnosis – work that continues at Head for the Cure.

“I miss him, but his presence is so real in my work,” Matt said. “I mention his name four or five times a day in a loving and collaborative way. People here know Chris is always there.”

It’s even going national. This year, there will be a Head for Cure 5K in 24 U.S. cities, which is a far cry from its humble beginnings as a way to honor Chris.

“The first year – 300 people, $25,000 – we thought we had done it, so we thought, ‘Let’s do it again next year,'” he said. “That was the extent of our vision.”

Two dozen cities and nearly $30 million for brain cancer research later, Chris would be thrilled and probably impressed.

“We help people – whether it’s one person or 100 – and, my goodness, since we started, over 300,000 people have participated in our 5K, we’ve raised almost $30 million, and it’s all grassroots work,” Matt said. “That’s the cool thing about it – we don’t have any big donors, but we have thousands of small ones.”

A matter close to her heart with an enormous impact: she raised money for brain cancer research and networked researchers so that they could work together better in the search for cures.

More than 5,000 people have registered for Sunday’s 5K run/march, which begins at 8 a.m. at Corporate Woods.

It’s the second record-breaking year in a row for Head for the Cure, Kansas City’s largest and longest-running charity 5K.

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