Registration drive set Monday for Nolan Weber benefit race

Wings Etc. Grill & Pub in Jackson will host a fundraiser to fight childhood cancer Monday.

A group called Believing Beyond is holding a registration drive for the Nolan Weber Believers 5k and Fun Run, and, at diners' request, Wings Etc. will donate 10 percent of food sales to the foundation.

Weber's family started Believing Beyond after the Jackson teen athlete died in December after a three-year struggle with brain cancer.

His mother, Rachelle Weber, said the things Nolan was most passionate about were helping others in similar situations and giving back to his community.

"One of the first things we want to do is to help a family with a child facing a catastrophic illness," Weber said. "Because other than having your own child be cured, it's a parent's dearest wish that not another single family would have to go through something like this."

Weber said the goal is to have 200 participants, and explained that the registration drive is to encourage people to sign up early.

"We want to make sure that as many people as possible are able to get a shirt," she said. "We're trying to get people to register early so that it goes as smoothly as possible."

Dakota Suhre, manager at Wings Etc. Grill & Pub, was a friend and teammate of Nolan's and said that when he heard the foundation was having the race, he did everything he could to help promote it. He hopes others will come out and join him in registering Monday.

"Nolan just opened the eyes of a lot of people in the community and brought people together," he said. "[The 5k] is for a good cause."

Registration is $25 until Friday, when it becomes $30. The Sept. 13 race will be at 9 a.m. at Jackson High School and will follow the route that Weber, Suhre and the rest of the soccer team ran for preseason workouts.

"He would run that route all the time," Weber said. "Even when he'd had to get up at 5 a.m. for radiation treatments. His brother thought it was fitting."

tgraef@semissourian.com

Pertinent address:

2003 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson, Mo.