Former Broncos Cheerleader Honors Friend With 'Sweaty Fundraiser'
DENVER (CBS4) - Dozens of women came together in Denver to help Kelsey Sheahan honor a friend she lost to cancer.
Sheahan, a former Denver Broncos Cheerleader and owner of Sweat Den, put on what she calls a "sweaty fundraiser" at Mile High Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
Participants were put through many of the same exercises Broncos cheerleaders go through, and it was all for Mallory Sauer who lost her battle with cancer last year.
"This was super important for me because Mallory meant so much to me and she meant so much to so many other people," she told CBS4's Dominic Garcia.
Mallory was only 26 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in her lungs.
The Colorado native worked at Sports Authority, was a fitness instructor, and had even been on the Colorado Mammoth Lacrosse dance team. But her passion was fashion and thousands of people followed her blog and social media accounts.
In fact, even after the diagnosis she continued to blog about her cancer in hopes of inspiring others.
"She said 'You know I don't want my death to be in vain. I really want to help people who are in my situation and don't have what I have,'" said Mallory's mother Kathleen MacDonald.
Her family started The Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation's Mallory Sauer Fund. It helps families dealing with cancer financially.
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"They don't have enough money for gas to get to their treatment centers or to their doctor's appointments. They have to make a decision between food or the deductible. It's devastating... many people lose their jobs because they're too sick to work," said MacDonald.
In 2017, the fund assisted six families in their battle with cancer. It will support at least 24 families in 2018. All donations from Tuesday's "Sweaty Fundraiser" went to the fund.
Sheahan says she hopes Mallory's story inspires people to live like she did.
'"Life is so short, and it's so precious, and the people in your life are so precious. Don't take a single day for granted."
LINK: Ray Of Hope Cancer Foundation's Mallory Sauer Fund
Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.
