Kelly and Tucker Durham

Kelly Durham has been a Challenger since 2009 when her father-in-law, Ronnie “Root” Durham, was diagnosed with melanoma. Wanting to dedicate something to the life-long active community volunteer, Kelly decided to run the Richmond Half Marathon in honor of Root’s battle with cancer and started the team website “Run for Rooter.”..  Root followed along daily with the online fundraising page that Kelly had set up and would read all of the comments from supporters.  Kelly shared, “He was so tickled by the support and fundraising in his honor and I truly believe it gave him purpose and happiness in his last days.” Sadly, Root lost his battle with cancer in August of 2010. 

Root’s passing wasn’t the end of Kelly’s Massey Challenge journey. In 2010, her son Tucker decided to join the Massey Challenge alongside Kelly. Together, they chose to celebrate Root’s life by giving back to VCU Massey Cancer Center and running the Monument Avenue 10k presented by MARTIN’S. Since 2009, Kelly and Tucker have raised more than $30,000 for VCU Massey Cancer Center. Last year, they decided to honor others in their lives that have battled or are battling cancer. They dedicated each mile to a specific loved one or friend, and included each of their stories. In 2014, they raised more than $13,000, a record year for the fundraising duo.

Kelly and Tucker have grown their Massey Challenge team to include friends and family from across the country. They’ve shared their story with co-workers, friends and complete strangers and look forward to continuing this tradition of honoring Root in 2015!