You race. Kids win.

The annual Summer Scamper will raise money for life-saving research and care at Packard Children’s Hospital.

On June 23, more than 3,500 visitors will gather on the Stanford University campus for the ninth annual Summer Scamper, a race and festival that raises funds for children’s health.

The fun-filled morning will feature 10- and 5-kilometer races that start at 8 a.m., followed by a kids’ fun run. The celebration continues at the Family Festival with music, food vendors, the kids’ zone, health and wellness exhibits, and more. 

Support for research

The event’s goal is to raise $550,000 to support vital programs at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and advance groundbreaking research at the Stanford School of Medicine that could improve the lives of children worldwide — children like Kruz and Paizlee Davenport.

Kruz and Paizlee Davenport have a rare form of dwarfism known as Schimke immunoosseous dysplasia. They will serve as the patient heroes for this year’s Summer Scamper race on the Stanford campus.
Amanda Chapman Photography

Kruz, 5, and Paizlee, 4, have Schimke immunoosseous dysplasia, an extremely rare form of dwarfism with a life expectancy of nine to 11 years. It can cause kidney failure, strokes and heart disease.   

“There was a 1 in 80 million chance both Kruz and Paizlee would have SIOD,” said their mom, Jessica Davenport. The siblings are two of just five children in the United States who have the condition.

To be closer to specialized treatment, the Davenports temporarily moved to Palo Alto from their hometown of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have built close relationships with physicians at Packard Children’s, where Kruz and Paizlee will each undergo a kidney transplant and Kruz recently became the first SIOD patient to receive a donor’s stem cells. Down the road, the siblings will also need hip reconstruction surgery to combat dysplasia.

Raising money for SIOD

“Stanford and Dr. David Lewis graciously took on SIOD research in 2017, which led to meeting amazing doctors who are now our stem cell transplant and kidney transplant teams,” said Davenport. “We feel blessed to have Kruz and Paizlee in the best care facility in the world.”

Unfortunately, no cure exists for children with the disorder. That’s why the Davenports decided to start the Kruzn for a Kure Foundation to raise money for SIOD research. So far, Kruzn for a Kure has donated more than $1.3 million to Stanford. 

“We strive every day to not only give Kruz and Paizlee a promising life, but to give the other children all over the world a chance as well,” said Davenport. “Continued funding is paramount for such an extremely rare condition.”

As the first siblings with SIOD in the country, Kruz and Paizlee have become ambassadors for the condition and will be 2019 Summer Scamper Patient Heroes. Runners can keep an eye out for them on the racecourse, which starts on Galvez Street on the Stanford campus. 

To donate online or register for the 5K, 10K and kids’ fun run, please visit SummerScamper.org. 

  • Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.