Legacies of Passed Loved Ones
Erica Fontes’s Story
Erica explains her reason for walking the Runway on behalf of her mother.
“It’s my way of honoring her after 10 years.”
Read MoreEmily Cohen’s Story
Emily Cohen has been part of the Runway family for more than a decade, first walking in 2012 and 2013 before returning as an alum model beginning in 2016.
But Emily’s impact on Runway goes far beyond the stage.
As a family grant reader and family liaison volunteer, Emily has supported families facing breast cancer in deeply personal ways.
For Emily, Runway is family, remembrance, science, service, and love in action.
Read MoreFrannie McBrian’s Story
Frannie has been connected to breast cancer since before she was born.
“I wish that my 10-year-old self had some of the resources and the incredible opportunities that Runway gifts families and children with,” she says.
Read MoreJoshua Smith’s Story
Joshua Smith and his children are returning to the Runway stage in honor of Katie.
When Katie was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, the life they had planned together shifted in ways they never could have imagined.
Joshua remembers Runway helping with things like gas and groceries during a time when his family was in survival mode. More than that, he remembers how much joy Runway gave Katie.
For Joshua, Runway gives his family something rare: a place to put their love for Katie out into the world.
Read MoreMaggie Corcoran Seitz’s Story
Breast cancer has shaped Maggie’s life through love, loss, and family.
Her mother passed away from breast cancer when Maggie was a young adult. At the time, there were very few people in her life who understood what it meant to lose a mother so young.
Olivia was one of them.
That shared understanding became part of what connected Maggie to Runway for Recovery.
Read MoreKathryn & Savannah’s Story
Kathryn Phillips and her daughter, Savannah “Savy,” have grown up with Runway across nearly every chapter of its history.
Kathryn first walked the Runway in 2007 in honor of her mother, Susan, who passed away from metastatic breast cancer.
Three years later, Kathryn returned to the stage while navigating breast cancer herself, this time with young Savy beside her.
They have been dancing on the Runway stage ever since!
“Once you’re in, you’re in for life,” Savy says.
Read MoreRachael Asselin’s Story
Rachael Asselin first came to Runway as a daughter who had lost her mother.
Now, through her role on the Runway Board as Chair of Family Grants, Rachael helps support children and families navigating the illness or loss of their own mothers.
This year, as Runway celebrates its 20th Anniversary, Rachael is reflecting on what it means to have grown alongside the organization, to have outlived her mother, and to help build the kind of community she once needed.
Read MoreGiselle & AvaMarie Watkins’s Story
Gisele and Ava Marie Watkins are taking the Runway for Recovery stage in honor of their mother, Shadon Watkins.
When Shadon became part of the Runway for Recovery family, she was living with metastatic breast cancer. Through every treatment, hospitalization, and setback, her focus remained on her daughters and making sure they could still experience joy, confidence, and the simple parts of childhood.
“They are what keep me going,” Shadon shared.
In 2024, Gisele and Ava Marie danced beside their mother on the Runway stage. Last year, they returned to honor her memory. This year, they continue that tradition — celebrating the woman who showed them what courage, resilience, and unconditional love look like.
Read MoreDan Straffords’s Story
Dan Strafford and his daughters are returning to the Runway stage in memory of Kim.
For Dan, returning to Runway is about his daughters. When he asked if they wanted to walk again, their faces lit up.
“It was something brought to us because of pain that brought them joy,” he says.
Read MoreLily Hsin’s Story
Lily Hsin was only eight years old when she first shared her story with Runway.
Now 14 and starting high school, Lily continues to walk and dance in memory of Rachael, using Runway as a way to honor who Rachael was and keep her spirit present.
“It gives us a way to keep her alive,” Lily says.
Through the years, Runway has given Lily and her family a place to remember, celebrate, connect, and share Rachael’s story with others.
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