With sweat trickling down their faces and an Ignatian fervor fueling them, seven Jesuit alumni race across Texas in support of the fight against childhood cancer. Their Jesuit-imbued values vault them across the finish line and onto their next charitable mission. These seven men, after weeks of preparation, finally meet their goal.
The ultimate intention is an end to childhood cancer, and although that hasn’t been reached yet, the seven Jesuit alums, including Dan Carver and Nicholas Launcher, are striving to reach it through service and commitment to the UT Wranglers Maverick Group. Dan Carver said that he “was inspired to join this group in order to continue his service to the community and to strive for social justice.” The group including Carver and Lanpher committed themselves to a 200 mile marathon from Dallas to Austin where each member would run 15 miles. On August 27th, they began their run after donating the 8,000 dollars they raised to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, whose mission is to end childhood cancer.
The run constituted “a substantial amount of planning,” according to Physics teacher and Dan Carver’s mother Mrs. Julie Carver, from the fundraiser and the t-shirt sale to the training, which was “a modified boot camp experience over the course of a semester.” All the preparation was ultimately worthwhile, considering the amount of money the group was able to obtain for their cause.
Running in support of a cause that hits close to home, Carver raced in memorial of the younger brother of a close friend who passed away in the spring to a rare form of sarcoma at only 10 years old. Mrs. Carver added that “his passing and raising awareness to help support research towards a cure was the inspiration for the marathon,” an inspiration that is well-founded and reflects the values of the Jesuit Profile. Dan commented that the virtues of the group mirror “virtues which were instilled in [him] during [his] time at Jesuit.”
The 7 alumni as well as the other members of the UT Wrangler group passionately chased a goal which they had personal attachment to and were able to succeed. The very mission of the group, service, and social justice, are integral to Jesuit, and it is apparent that those alumni are prime examples of the Graduate at Graduation as they continue to practice those values.
