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I’ll be honest. I’m not an athlete. I started walking every day because I wanted to be a bit fitter, but not with any great goals in mind. Last year, I found out about the Climb for Courage, a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital Colorado at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium. I was interested because I love children and was baffled that we don’t have a children’s hospital here in Colorado Springs.

Before she was Miss Colorado, Shannon Patilla was a volunteer at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Since winning the crown in 2016, Shannon has continued to support the hospital by volunteering at Seacrest Studios, visiting with patients and even helping to answer phones at Alice Cares for Kids Radiothon.

Anissa was born with a cleft lip, a condition in which the lip does not fully form before birth, leaving an opening that can affect speech, hearing and appearance. Anissa has undergone eight procedures at Children’s Colorado. Today, she’s helping other kids learn to accept themselves for who they are.

After her leukemia diagnosis, Ellory spent two and half years undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She lost her hair three times and spent more days in the hospital than she can count. But with the help of a cancer-fighting army of caregivers equipped with the latest research and technology, Ellory’s leukemia is now in remission.

Many people think of the hospital as a scary place. But not 17-year-old Dominic. Born with cerebral palsy, the hospital feels like a second home to him.