By John Summers | May 6, 2026

PORT ALLEN — The rain wasn't going to stop them.

Despite the rain, a good turnout of runners and walkers gathered at Jack's Place on Thursday evening for the annual Running for Rachael 5K, a walk and run held in honor of Michael Willis, a Brusly native who died in 2021 after completing a 100-mile ultramarathon in Key West dedicated to his sister.

Willis and his wife, Megan, started Running for Rachael in 2018 after his sister Rachael lost her battle with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. She was 24.

"It's not just the actual person who's affected, it's a whole family," said Katie Voda, Megan's sister and one of the event's organizers. "His whole goal is to make sure that not only can we help with the cancer donations but also help with the families."

That help takes different forms depending on the need — covering a child's soccer registration, buying dinner during a hospital stay, delivering pajamas at Christmas, or writing a check to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, where the organization has donated roughly $10,000 over the years. Running for Rachael, now a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has raised more than $50,000 and helped an estimated 50 families since its founding.

Willis grew up in Brusly and was a regular at Jack's Place, where he ran with the Jack's Running Club every Thursday.

"We choose Jack's Place because that's where our people are," Voda said. "This is where Michael used to come to run every Thursday and we just keep the tradition alive."

Before Willis took up running, a priest at St. Aloysius Catholic Church on Stuart Avenue in Baton Rouge told him he was too heavy to run.

"Father Alello basically told him one day, 'You're too fat, you won't run,'" Voda said. "Michael took that as a challenge."

Willis, a Catholic High School and LSU graduate, lost roughly 60 pounds and never stopped. His ultimate goal was to run 100 miles in honor of Rachael — and he did, completing an ultramarathon in Key West. He died on May 16, 2021, at the age of 27. His family declined to discuss the details of that day, but Voda said what mattered most was simple.

"He completed the race. Rachael was with him. He ran as hard as he could. He ran faster than he thought he could," she said. "He ran 100 miles and he made his family proud."

After Willis's death, there was no question about what would come next.

"Michael made everyone happy. Every single person he met — he never met a person who didn't like him," Voda said. "We had to keep it going. We didn't have another option. We wanted to keep it going because that was his legacy."

As runners gathered in the bar at Jack's Place waiting out a passing storm, an organizer led them in a runner's prayer before the group headed out into the rain.

Asked what Michael would think if he could see the crowd that showed up for him, Voda paused.

"I don't think he would believe it," she said. "I think he'd be so proud."

Running for Rachael holds events throughout the year. Families affected by cancer who need support can reach the organization at running4rachael@gmail.com or visit runningforrachael.org. Donations are also accepted via Venmo at patrick-danna.