Champions of Hope: Our Fight is Your Fight

On Saturday, October 18, the Southeast Health Foundation will welcome cancer survivors and supporters back to The Plant in downtown Dothan for the 16th annual Champions of Hope. This powerful event embodies the spirit of unity and resilience, offering a space for those impacted by cancer to connect, celebrate, and stand together.

Whether you’re a survivor, a caregiver, a friend, or simply someone who believes in the fight, this celebration is for you. Let’s #LOVEDOTHAN and show that no one faces cancer alone.

Highlights include:

Molly’s Mile: a non-competitive walk
Chip-timed 5K and 10K races through historic downtown Dothan
Commemorative t-shirts and finisher medals for all participants
Roving entertainment, family-friendly activities, local vendors, and inspiring speakers

Since its inception in 2008, Champions of Hope has raised over $1 million, helping expand cancer services, programs, and patient support throughout our community.

SAVE THE DATE:

Champions of Hope 5K, 10K and Molly’s Mile
Saturday, October 18, 2025

Location:
The Plant – Downtown Dothan

Interested in Sponsorship or more information? [email protected]
334-673-4150.

Get started!

Event registration
is now open for
teams and individuals.

sponsorship packet

Join us in celebrating our 16th year by becoming a sponsor and making a difference.

Donate Now

Your support gives hope and expands life-saving cancer services for our community.

contact us

Get more information or
join our community of
survivors and supporters.

What Will Your Donation Help Fund This Year?

Your participation in the 2025 Champions of Hope could help give some of our most vulnerable patients a fighter’s chance for survival. Cancer patients and pre-mature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care often need irradiated blood products to ensure the prevention of potentially fatal transfusion-associated disease.

Thanks to your support of Champions of Hope, those patients will no longer have to leave Dothan to receive irradiated blood. Money raised at this year’s event will help purchase a blood irradiator machine for Southeast Health Medical Center Laboratory Services.

The blood irradiator machine will be placed in the Medical Center’s blood bank to protect immune compromised cancer patients and pre-mature babies from graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD).

This machine may give our patients the extra punch they need to knock out cancer.

“A champion is someone who

gets up when he can’t”

– Jack Dempsey, former world heavyweight boxing champion

The gut-wrenching punches came in flurries this year. Every time we got up with our legs back under us, we got hit again. All told, we found ourselves enduring four gut wrenching punches from cancer. Each time it took a little longer to recover, but throwing in the towel was never an option. We remain steadfast in our resolve as Champions of Hope. Our strength to continue the fight this year will come through the memory of those we lost.

Join us October 18, 2025, in Downtown Dothan for the 16th annual Champions of Hope. All four of these special people fought bravely until the end. Now is the time for the rest of us to continue the fight and help those get up who don’t think they can.

What will your donation help fund this year?

Your participation in the 2025 Champions of Hope could help give some of our most vulnerable patients a fighter’s chance for survival. Cancer patients and pre-mature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care often need irradiated blood products to ensure the prevention of potentially fatal transfusion-associated disease.

Thanks to your support of Champions of Hope, those patients will no longer have to leave Dothan to receive irradiated blood. Money raised at this year’s event will help purchase a blood irradiator machine for Southeast Health Medical Center Laboratory Services.

The blood irradiator machine will be placed in the Medical Center’s blood bank to protect immune compromised cancer patients and pre-mature babies from graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD).

This machine may give our patients the extra punch they need to knock out cancer.

presenting sponsor

Exclusive Sponsors

Finisher Medal

Molly’s Mile

(One Mile Spirit Walk)

Award Ceremony

Wings of Hope

Beer Garden

Entertainment

Registration

Survivor Tent

Finish Line

Hospitality Tent

Flag Garden

Paws Fur Hop Hydration Station

10k Course

hope Sponsors

mile marker sponsors

Jarrod Adkison, Southeast Health Radiation Oncology

The Headland Bottletree

All In Credit Union

TeleGen, LLC

It was once a dream

It all started with a dream

Champions of Hope was founded in 2008 by Sandi McCool, who dreamed of honoring and uplifting breast cancer survivors and fighters. It has since grown into something bigger than we could have ever imagined, and we are so thankful for our community’s support.

Read the full story here, and learn more about

Sandi McCool’s lasting legacy.

Read the full story here, and learn more about

Sandi McCool’s lasting legacy.

Past Event Chairs & Honorees

2008 Chair – Sandi Thurman McCool

2009 Chair – Kelli Cundith

2010 Chair – Kelli Hall

2011 Chair – Franzi Bondy

2013 Chair – Melinda McClendon

2014 Chair – Sandy Brooks

2015 Chair – Patty Harris