Couple enters Red Bud to honor late son

A couple laces up their sneakers in honor of their late son, Mitchell, who died of Leukemia in September.

Thursday, April 3rd 2008, 5:48 pm

By: News 9

By Alex Cameron, NEWS 9

John and Tracy Whitaker lost their 10-year-old son last September to Leukemia. Now, the couple has decided to honor Mitchell by running in the Red Bud Classic.

"He would be all for it, I know he would," Tracy said. "And it's a great cause. It's the number one childhood cancer, and there's not a cure."

With help from the Team in Training organization, the Whitakers have conditioned their bodies for a marathon in San Diego. This weekend, the couple will hit the pavement in Oklahoma to get ready for the grueling 26 miles.

"The Red Bud is for a good cause," John said, "And so you kind of know some of the things we're trying to accomplish, they've been doing for a long time now."

John believes his faith in God played a big role in Mitchell's attitude toward facing death.

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