Meet This Year's Tropical Prince & Princess

Saturday, September 27, 2025 will be this year's Tropical 5K Classic. Lending Hearts is honored to be part of this wonderful event.

In anticipation of this year's race, we would like to introduce you to this year's Tropical Prince and Princess, our Lending Hearts Friends, Brooks and Gia!

As shared by the Tropical 5K Classic organizers...

Meet this year's Tropical 5K Classic Prince! Brooks, or Brooks the Brave as we like to call him, is an energetic and tenacious 7-year-old who loves his family and friends and has a big heart for his dog Peaches. On a typical day, you will find Brooks playing tag with his big brother and neighborhood friends, or relaxing with a video game. He loves a good dad joke and loves even more to retell it like it was his own.

Brooks was a bulldozer of a toddler, so much so that we called him “Brookzilla” back then. However, when he turned 4, he struggled to sleep through the night due to constant stomach pain and even quit playing outside because of leg pain. After numerous doctor visits and inquiries, we finally received an answer that no parent wants to hear: Brooks was diagnosed at age 5, with High Risk, Stage 4, Neuroblastoma. It was a daunting diagnosis that hung heavy in our hearts.

Brooks was in active treatment for a little over a year and a half where he received numerous chemotherapy treatments, a 12 hour resection surgery to remove a tumor, two back to back stem cell transplants, and 6 months of immunotherapy. It was a long journey with many speedbumps, but we are so grateful to say that he rang the bell a few months ago, and since then he has been full speed ahead. Brooks is the most amazing dude and the most resilient little boy around. He is so loved and we cannot wait to see him do amazing things as he grows up!

 We are honored to crown Brooks as this year’s Tropical 5K Prince. His journey is one of strength, resilience, and joy.

We are honored to crown Gia as our 2025 Tropical 5K Princess! Giavanna—better known as Gia, Gina, or G-nado (yes like tornado!)—has been a fighter since day one. Born during COVID and whisked to the NICU, her nurses called her a “firecracker,” and she’s lived up to the name ever since.

At 7 months, she was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia and endured three major surgeries and nearly two years in a spica cast. Even then, she found ways to keep moving—climbing with her arms, army crawling, and spinning in circles on the kitchen floor.

This February, after ongoing pain and fatigue, an MRI revealed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Following months of spinal taps, transfusions, chemo, immunotherapy, and even a severe case of sepsis, Gia is officially in remission and cancer free. Treatments continue, but cancer clearly picked the wrong girl.

Despite everything, Gia remains full of joy and determination. She loves playing outside, swimming, cooking with her mom, doting on her baby sister, and insisting on being addressed as “your majesty” while twirling in sparkly princess dresses.

Gia is one of the most resilient kids you’ll ever meet—surrounded by love, courage, and cheerleaders as she finishes kicking cancer’s butt once and for all!