Judy & Tom Hund have been avid volunteers and supporters of GRACE and the community for well over two decades, with a thriving mission of giving back to those in need. After the passing of their son, Daniel, to cancer, the Hunds discovered an honorable way of giving back to the community while also keeping his memory alive.
Daniel Hund was a 6’2”, 260lb offensive lineman who played for the 2002 Southlake Carroll State Championship team. After high school, Daniel went on to graduate Cum Laude from TCU with a Master’s in Accounting in 2008. Dan was always into shoes and had a collection of them in his closet. After meeting Barry Rush from the Dallas Cowboys through some mutual friends in 2012, the two developed a bond over shoes – a bond that can never be untied.
Daniel passed away at the age of 35 years following an 18-month-long battle with adrenal cancer. Over the course of the year, Tom and Judy were caught by surprise by the many sneakers that were in Dan’s closet.
“Dan didn’t limit himself to [Nike],” said Church. “If you go into his closet, you can’t even move. It’s impossible. His love of shoes was on the next level.”
After donating many of the shoes to organizations such as GRACE, the Hunds decided to honor Daniel in the best way they knew how – the Dan Hund Memorial to Stomp Out Cancer is an official tribute to the courage, fight, and selflessness of Dan Hund. This is how it goes:
One must fill out a March Madness Bracket and donate wherever their heart leads. If you win, or finish second, you will receive a pair of Dan’s shoes.
During the first two years of this effort, the Hunds raised and matched what came out to $262,000. The funds, all of which go to research with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, have funded the hiring of two post-doctoral fellows – one doing research in adrenal studies and the other on bone metastasis. The fund also supports what Dan’s Oncologist, Matt Campbell, calls the largest study ever conducted on adrenal cancer starting in April.
“Grief is really hard to figure out,” said Tom Hund. “It’s better to talk about than cram it up inside, this is why this is absolutely a means of keeping his spirit alive.”
With over 200 brackets created the first year, and over 300 brackets created the second year, the Hunds are eager to match funds raised and to see how big the effort can get, all because they are ready to give away some shoes to the community.
For more information on how you can get involved with the March Madness pool benefitting the Dan Hund Memorial to Stomp Out Cancer, please email stompoutcancer4dan@gmail.com. You will receive information on how you can donate and as well as how you can enter your brackets.
