Cheri McCusker

I will Be Awesome

2026- Core Camino for Connor!

This year, Connor’s Run will look a little different for me.

Starting Labor Day weekend, the "Core"—my twin sister Cindy and our two lifelong best friends, Merrie and Alison—will set out to walk the Camino Inglés, a 70+ mile pilgrimage to Santiago de Compestela in Spain. The four of us have shared a lifetime of friendship, raised our families, and now have the opportunity to take on this very special pilgrimage together.

People have walked the Camino for centuries, each for their own reasons and often with people, hopes, and intentions that hold special meaning along the way. For me, one of those will be Connor and the amazing organization his family has built in his memory. 

The Robert Connor Dawes Foundation has been close to my heart for many years. My family’s friendship with the Dawes family began when we were all American expats living in Australia, where Liz became one of my closest friends. The Foundation was created in honor of Liz and Scott’s son Connor, who died from a brain tumor at just 18, and has since grown into an extraordinary effort to improve the odds for children facing brain cancer.

So while we won’t be running Connor’s Run in Australia, the Core will be walking some very special miles for Connor in Spain. As we make our way along the Camino, Connor, the Dawes family, and all the families affected by pediatric brain cancer will be along the people and things I carry close to my heart. 

If you'd like to support us along the way, consider a gift of $1 for each of our 70 miles- or whatever amount feels right to you. Every donation supports the research giving children with brain cancer and their families greater hope for the future.
THANK YOU!