09/01/2026
Head of school of IST, the facility we rent for Japanese School shared this with us...
Please share with your friends, families and your community members. Even you don't know this family, you can imagine how hard the situation they are facing and it breaks our heart. What would you do if this is your own child, family or friends? Let's be kind and help each other when we know we can contribute even a little❤️ Nobody can do this alone.
-Minami Espinosa
Tucson Japanese School
Co-Executive Director
Dear IST community,
One of the things that makes our IST community so special is the way we show up for one another, and today I’m reaching out with an opportunity to rally around a family who means so much to our school.
Many of you know Cara Payne and her family. Cara is a deeply involved member of our IST community, and her 10 year old son, Chase, is one of our students. Chase has been facing an incredibly rare cancer called pediatric chordoma. He has already endured a major surgery and recovery with tremendous strength, but his journey is not over.
Because chordoma is so rare, treatment options are extremely limited, especially for children. Right now, the Chordoma Foundation is raising funds for research that could be particularly meaningful for Chase. If successful, this work could help move him from having essentially no treatment options available if his cancer progresses or returns to having a therapy that could help.
That makes the need for research feel incredibly real and incredibly urgent.
On October 3, friends, families, runners, walkers, and supporters around the world will come together for Race for Chase, a virtual 5K/10K benefiting the Chordoma Foundation and the research that could change what is possible for Chase and others facing this disease.
And you absolutely do not need to be a runner to be part of it.
You can walk or run from anywhere, make a donation, share Race for Chase with your own friends, businesses and communities, or create a fundraising page and invite others to support the cause. Every registration, donation, and share helps.
Together, the Race for Chase community has set a goal of raising $200,000 for chordoma research. It is an ambitious goal, but it reflects just how much is at stake, and what could become possible when a community comes together behind one child and one urgently needed area of research.
Most importantly, this is our opportunity to surround Chase and his family with the strength of the IST community and help create something they desperately need: more options and more hope.
Thank you for helping us show Chase and his family just how many people are standing behind them.
https://runsignup.com/Race/AZ/Tucson/RunForChase
Warmly,
Jessica Palma
The Race for Chase! is on Saturday October 3, 2026. It includes the following events: Race for Chase 5K and Race for Chase 10K.