LEGOs for Brody run back; donations needed
Oct. 13—After last year's postponed then scaled down run out of COVID-19 concerns, the annual LEGOS for Little Warriors run in honor of the late Cleburne resident Brody Nelson is back on.
Nelson, 10, passed away in August 2019 following a year and a half long battle with brain cancer.
Nelson, while undergoing radiation treatments at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, started LEGOs for Little Warriors out of compassion for fellow children going through similar medical challenges. Nelson's initial 2018 campaign collected more than 1,100 LEGO kits, which were donated to St. Jude, Cook Children's Medical Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Johnson County and other places.
The idea sprung from a 2018 Walk and Run to End Childhood Cancer in Fort Worth that Nelson and his family participated in.
"We organized a team for the walk and raised more than $6,000," Brody's mother, Courtney Nelson said at the time. "During the walk [Brody] turned to me and said, 'Do you know how many LEGOs that would buy for St. Jude kids?'"
In 2019, about a month after Nelson passed away, dozens of area motorcyclists and residents joined together in a LEGOs run to honor Nelson's memory and to deliver purchased and donated LEGOs to Westhill Church of Christ in Cleburne.
Cleburne motorcyclist Jeffrey Brown was one of several to join in.
Brown said he and other motorcycle club members raise money and participate in bike runs for many causes throughout the year. LEGOs for Little Warriors was a cause they could get behind and right up their alley, Brown said.
"Children need something to do while they're in the hospital," Brown said of the 2019 run. "Brody was doing it so it's pretty much helping him and his family out."
The hope, last year's COVID-19 complications aside, is the make the run an annual tradition, Brown said last month.
"We had eight to 10 motorcycle clubs last time plus a lot of independent riders and people following behind in their cars," Brown said. "We're hoping to see it even bigger this year and to make it a tradition to keep the hospitals stocked up with LEGOs for the kids while they're there and to send them home with them too."
This year's run about 10:30 a.m. Oct. 24 at the Burleson Walmart. From there the route travels up Texas 174 to Westhill Drive in Cleburne and on to Westhill Church of Christ, 1100 W. Westhill Drive.
Residents are encouraged to meet at either location and/or follow along with the route. Donations of LEGOs are also needed.
"You can buy them before or get them from the Walmart that morning," Brown said. "Just walk up to any of us before you leave to drop them off. We'll have a couple of pickups to deliver them to the church."
For information on donations or other ways to help out, contact Brown at 817-231-3537.
