Most of us know the movie “Forrest Gump.” At one part of the film, the character that Tom Hanks portrays is seen running across the country, simply for the enjoyment of it.

Rachele Cerrone, a 2015 graduate of Northwestern High School, is taking on her own version of that popular 1994 movie.

Cerrone, now a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, will be running across the United States in the 4K for Cancer this summer. As a part of Team New York, Cerrone, along with 30 other college-aged students, is scheduled to run from San Francisco, CA, to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York in a relay style run that stretches over 4,000 miles.

“After hearing about my brother’s experience with the 4K in 2016 with Team New York, I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of 4K family myself,” Cerrone said, who witnessed her brother Ryan cross the finish line last summer. “The atmosphere as Team New York crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and finished their journey was indescribable. It was such an incredible experience for my brother, and I knew that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and take on the challenge myself.”

The run will raise awareness for cancer and benefits the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. While Forrest Gump’s journey across America was for his pure enjoyment, Cerrone’s journey takes on a greater approach.

Along with her team, Cerrone will volunteer at hospitals and help the cancer community across the country every step of her 49-day journey. The running aspect, which has been a part of her life for awhile, is an extra added bonus.

“This experience is something that is bigger than most of us,” Cerrone said. “As exhausting as it will be, it will be rewarding. I am excited to see how this experience will shape me as an individual, and how it will allow me to gain many different perspectives.

“Whether it was my friends, family member or a college peer, I have been able to witness the tragic side of cancer, as well as the truly inspiring side. The cancer community is one that is so selfless and aiding, and it is something that I definitely want to be associated with.”

The event begins on June 18 in San Francisco. It will end about a month-and-a-half later, on August 5, in New York. The relay-style race will result in each participant running double-digit miles each day, for nearly 50 straight days.

“There are two vans that split the route, one starts at the beginning and one starts at the halfway point for the day,” Cerrone said. “Each day you are paired up with a teammate. The first pair of teammates will run two miles and then will be picked up by the van at the next two-mile mark. This pattern keeps repeating itself and over the course of they day an individual will run around 10-16 miles.”

Cerrone is a part of Team New York. The other group of college students running for the same cause, Team Baltimore, also begins in San Francisco but ends in Maryland.

Cerrone isn’t particularly excited to see one part of the country more than another, but she’s equally thrilled to see its beautiful nature in its entirety.

She’s also elated to help lend a hand, perhaps with her legs as well, metaphorically, in the cancer community.

“As individuals we take a lot for granted, and most of us aren’t really able to comprehend the possibility of life taking a 360-degree turn for the worse,” Cerrone said. “I am hoping that this summer will allow me to gain many different perspectives, and will allow me to create life-long relationships with the communities and my teammates.”

Her journey won’t be possible unless she reaches her goal of raising $4,500. Her story can be found at https://ulman.z2systems.com/rachele-cerrone.

Anyone wishing to donate can also send a check to: ATTN: 4K for Cancer, The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, 1215 E Fort Ave, Ste 104, Baltimore, MD, 21230. Please name the runner in the memo. More information on the 4K For Cancer can be found at http://4kforcancer.org/ and on the Ulma Fund at http://ulmanfund.org/ .