My favorite event of the year—and technically the only event I attend, ever—is just four days away.

The event, NC4K Reindeer Run, occurs annually on the second Saturday in December. This is my 8th year participating, and to date, my group, Team Happy, has a record number of members, 57 in all.

This is a constant each year since losing my sweet Milo in 2015. We spent 2014 in the hospital. I remember Christmas Eve. I was squeezed into the hospital crib, holding my beautiful, bald baby, and prayed he would survive. I cried, a lot, and waited for Christmas morning when Daddy and grandparents would join me to celebrate what used to be one of our favorite days of the year.

That year, dozens of gifts were brought to our house. Toys, clothes, gift cards. A result of the generosity of some family, somewhere, who ‘adopted’ us for the holiday season. A result of the enormous effort of the folks at NC4K, ensuring no kid fights cancer alone.

The 50+ people joining us for the Reindeer Run are my angels. Family members who have cried with us. Friends who still hold me when life is too hard. Coworkers, past and present, who never new our baby but love us enough to participate. They honor our sweet angel by providing support for families who are still fighting through treatment, experiencing long hospital stays, and praying that their child can survive this battle.

We see a little sign of Milo every year. You can see us coming a mile away because of the dozens of minion hats upon our heads. A cardinal flies by someone, along the race course. And the energy of Milo is felt by every member of our squad, which grows in number, year after year.