Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/03/2010 -- Trace Howard, a 3-year-old Gunter resident and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) patient, will serve as a 2010 Patient Champion for the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon benefiting TSRHC.

The Patient Champions serve as young ambassadors for TSRHC, representing thousands of patients treated at the hospital each year. Runners can create their own online pledge page in honor of our six patient champions, to encourage support from friends and family, with all donations benefiting TSRHC. Since 1997, the hospital has been the primary beneficiary of the Dallas White Rock Marathon, which includes a full and half marathon, 5-person relay and the SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge presented by Behringer Harvard. This year's marathon will take place on December 5.

About Trace Howard
Born with bilateral clubfoot http://www.tsrhc.org/clubfoot-foot-disorders.htm and a disorder that affects the way his feet move, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children patient Trace, age 3 of Gunter, Texas, continues to show others that he is an outgoing and happy young boy, and he's not stopping now. A patient at TSRHC since he was 2 weeks old, Trace has been through a series of castings, surgery on both of his Achilles tendons, physical therapy and major surgery to help correct his feet. More common in males than females, clubfoot is one of the most common pediatric orthopedic conditions http://www.tsrhc.org/pediatric-orthopedics.htm, and TSRHC treats more than 1,000 patients with clubfoot each year. To the surprise of his family, Trace began walking in the spring of 2009. Trace continues to use braces to walk and enjoys digging in the dirt, throwing balls, laughing and singing.

About the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon
Voted the top marathon and half marathon in the state by Competitor Texas magazine, the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon features a scenic course that includes a flat and fast 10-mile loop around White Rock Lake, and is a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. With a new start and finish in Fair Park, the 2010 race will provide runners, volunteers and family members with added parking and maneuverability, while maintaining the same great running experience it's had for the last 40 years. The primary beneficiary of the weekend events is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit the official MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon website at http://www.runtherock.com.