Paige's Butterfly Run

Description

Held in conjunction with the Taste of Syracuse, Paige's Butterfly Run brings runners and walkers from across Central New York to downtown Syracuse each year to participate in one of the region’s premier 5K races. Our goal is to put on a stellar community event while raising the critical dollars necessary to fund local pediatric cancer research and patient programs at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

This year, Paige's Butterfly Run will be celebrating its 29th event on Saturday, June 7, 2025 in downtown Syracuse. This family friendly event includes:

5K USATF certified race
3K fitness run/walk
5K Centipede Team Division
Caterpillar crawl for kids under 5 years old

Your participation in Paige's Butterfly Run helps to support children and families fighting pediatric cancer in Central New York. Proceeds from the event benefit the Dr. William J. Waters Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, Syracuse, New York.

The Story Behind the Organization

In 1993, Paige Yeomans Arnold was a seemingly healthy 6 year old first grader at Palmer Elementary School in Baldwinsville NY, when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Paige was then treated at what is now the Dr. William J. Waters Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse NY. Paige ultimately underwent a bone marrow transplant in an effort to cure her leukemia at Boston Children’s Hospital in 1994. Sadly, complications from the transplant led to her death in August of that year.

In the Spring of 1997, Paige’s parents were approached by a group of teachers at Palmer Elementary that wished to honor Paige in what would have been her last year at the school. In short order, it was decided that a walk\run event would be organized. All proceeds were slated to benefit a college scholarship fund and the Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders in Paige’s memory. The butterfly was selected as a symbol of the event not only because she was so fond of them, but because they typified her: beautiful and gentle, but strong beyond imagining.

After hosting the event from 1997-2007 at Palmer Elementary, Paige’s Butterfly Run came to downtown Syracuse in 2008 with the Taste of Syracuse Festival.

Since its inception in 1997, Paige’s Butterfly Run has raised over $5,000,000 to support cancer research and patient programs at the William J. Waters Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.