Volunteer Spotlight: Rich Chandler, ASK dad

ASK dads Rich Chandler (left) and Sean Adams (right) reviewing the 5K course route with ASK volunteer Henry Finn.

It’s 4am, and Rich Chandler is busy setting-up orange street cones for the next ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation race.  He’s led the logistics for the ASK 5K & Fun Walk and ASK Donut Run for the past fifteen years, and he doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. 

“It’s important to me as a business owner and a human being to give back to our community and share our many blessings,” says Rich.  “And we’ve been incredibly blessed.”

In 2000, Rich’s daughter, Kaitlyn, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, typically an adult leukemia.  At age three, Kaitlyn’s only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant.  Rich considers it a miracle that a donor was found in Germany, a military officer who flew back to the United States to provide Kaitlyn the bone marrow she needed to survive.

Now a senior at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Engineering, Kaitlyn is healthy and looking forward to life after graduation in May, 2020, and Rich’s commitment to ASK is even stronger.

“We became involved with ASK because of Kaitlyn’s diagnosis.  ASK was there for us every moment of Kaitlyn’s diagnosis and treatment, and I want everyone to know what an incredible team ASK becomes with every family diagnosed with childhood cancer.”

Rich says he’s a lifelong ASK volunteer, “I want to help spread the contagious positive energy that comes from the ASK administrators, clinicians and volunteers!"

You can see Rich's dedication and team spirit at this year's ASK 5K & Fun Walk which is celebrating 15 years! For ASK parents like Rich, it's so much more than just a walk. Learn more at ASKwalk.org.