This Houston father is lacing up his running shoes for an emotional mission.
HOUSTON — Three months after the July 4th floodwaters killed more than 130 people in Texas Hill Country a Houston father is working on a major goal to shine a spotlight on his daughter’s legacy.
The DeWitt family sent their two daughters, Annie and Molly, to Camp Mystic and tragically Molly died in the floodwaters.
Now, her father Ryan is putting on his running shoes and shining a light on Heaven’s 27, Camp Mystic campers and counselors who died in the floodwaters.
That’s when Ryan, alongside two of his good friends and goddaughter, will be running the iconic Chicago Marathon.
“I’m gonna be a mess emotionally for sure but I look forward to it because it’s just, it’s one step in this journey,” Ryan said.
Racing is nothing new for Ryan. He qualified for the Boston marathon in Spring 2025. His wife Elizabeth cheering alongside daughters Annie and Molly, often with a cutout of his face.
“It was always a fun activity for us,” Ryan said.
This is why the Chicago Marathon’s race is extra important.
“You’re saying that your hope by wearing these shirts that you can pay tribute to Molly and people will learn about Heaven’s 27,” Henderson said.
“Yeah, I mean, we, we’re hoping to get questions [about wearing matching shirts],” Ryan said. The shirts they had printed all have Molly’s name on them and Heaven’s 27 logo.
After their deaths DeWitt, along with other parents, unified to successfully push the Texas Legislature to make children’s camps safer.
Three months after the flooding, Ryan wants his daughter to be remember for who she was.
“[Molly was] life of the party but with the biggest heart and the deepest faith.”
It’s Molly’s legacy that’s propelled Ryan to commit to run seven major world marathons over the next few years.
“It’s not about me and I want to emphasize that,” DeWitt said. “Molly’s older sister [Annie] was her role model, her idol, and Annie really loves cheering me on. So I’m doing it for her. I’m doing it for my wife, Elizabeth and I’m doing it for all the, the other 25 families.”
In addition to running 26.2 miles Ryan is raising funds for Molly’s Foundation and the Heaven’s 27 group foundation.
If you would like to support here in Houston there is a run club that has started called Team 27. Their goal is also to raise funds for Heaven’s 27 foundation and is run by friends of the DeWitt family. They will be running as a team in Houston’s Marathon and are also starting up a chapter in Austin.
“That money [raised] will go to the causes and the passions of these 27 girls, which would include, you know, animal shelters, homeless shelters, programs for underprivileged kids, community centers,” Ryan said.
With donations they will be racing to make the world a better place one step at a time with the ultimate cheer squad.
“Elizabeth and Annie will be in my ear and Molly will be in my heart. I know in my heart that she will be proud and watching, and so will her 26 sisters,” Ryan said.
Ryan asked for there to also be a continued focus on the search for the final missing Camp Mystic camper, Cile Steward. The Steward family has now been waiting for more than three months for information on their daughter after she went missing from Camp Mystic during the floods.
Photojournalist Ivan Gibson contributed to this report.