A college student in eastern Iowa is putting himself through a grueling workout in an effort to help cancer patients. Jacob Fields is running a mile for every dollar he collects from donations. So far, he’s raised over $550 and has been running about 25 miles a day since late last month. It’s hard work, but Fields says his family provides motivation.
Both his mother and grandmother have been diagnosed with different types of cancer. “It’s definitely a lot (of pain), but compared what my mom went through and what my grandmother is going through now, it’s nothing,” Fields said. The senior at Cornell College in Mount Vernon has set a goal of running 1,000 miles and raising $1,000.
The money will go to the American Cancer Society for cancer research. “My friends have given me 10 dollars here, a dollar here,” Field said. “They’re like, ‘here’s five bucks, go run five miles.'” Fields started late last month and has lost more than 10 pounds, worn through a pair of shoes, and used up five tubes of lip balm. Fields is running in conjunction with Cornell’s Relay for Life, which starts Saturday, April 26.
(Reporting by Forest Saunders, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids)