SURPRISE, AZ — What started as a way to enter a race has turned into a decade-long mission to change lives.
Ten years ago, Phoenix entrepreneur Declan Fox wanted to compete in an Ironman with friends, but the only open entries required athletes to fundraise for charity.
He chose Smile Train and what began as a workaround quickly became a calling after raising more than 20 thousand dollars during that first race.
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Today, the co-owner of The Irish Wolfhound Restaurant and Pub has raised more than $100,000 to fund life-changing cleft surgeries for children around the world, turning his restaurant and construction business into hubs for community support.
Last weekend, he took that mission to the global stage, running the Tokyo Marathon.
Fox says the cause became deeply personal after traveling with Smile Train to Vietnam and witnessing firsthand how the surgeries transform children's lives.
From Arizona to marathons across the world, he’s proving every mile can mean a new smile for a child in need.
ABC15's Cameron Polom spoke with Fox. Watch his report in the video player above.
