Thousands of people will be starting and finishing races at Michigan Stadium Sunday to raise money for a variety of nonprofit organizations at the sixth Big House Big Heart Race. In addition to the 10K, 5K and 1-mile run, there will also be something called the Mott Mile at 10:20 a.m.

It's the second year for the event that pairs children who are outpatients at Mott Children's Hospital with student athletes at U-M. The event raises money for Mott.

"It's a celebration of the children, and a way for athletes and kids to connect and have fun," said Kelly Parent, Patient and Family Center Care Program manager at Mott, who expects close to 40 children to participate Sunday. "These are long term Mott kids who are cancer survivors, some in treatment, kids with congenital heart problems, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and those who have received organ transplants."

Four-year-old Aidan Troxtel, who was born with end stage renal disease and received a kidney transplant before he was 2, will be walking the Mott Mile Sunday with his mom Stacey Troxtel and an athlete who will be paired with him at the event.

"Aidan is such a courageous child that he would like to share his story with everyone, and we also believe that this is a a great way for people participating to see and hear the stories of just a few of the many children that walk through the doors of Mott," said Stacey Troxtel.

Troxtel says that Aidan received top notch care at Mott.

"We look at Mott as our home away from home," said Troxtel. "There were times in the first two years of Aidan's life that we felt our car could navigate itself to Mott."

Aidan's dad Erik Troxtel will be waiting at the finish line Sunday for Aidan.

Ten-year-old Larry Prout Jr. will walk the Mott Mile with a U-M athlete and his 15-year-old sister Molly Prout.

"He has a wheelchair and may want to walk a bit himself, but if he gets tired, Molly will push the chair and put him in it," said his mom Kathy Prout. "He just started walking in 2009. He does pretty good but gets tired."

Larry Jr., who is the youngest of six children, has spina bifida along with a number of other birth defects and has had 81 surgeries in his 10 years.

After nearly a year of hospitalization, Mia Wilson, who turned 1 in February, was released from Mott just a month before her birthday. She will make her first visit to the Big House Sunday. Mia has a rare congenital heart defect called Ebstein's Anomaly.

"We came to Mott for a chance, for hope, for the absolute best care possible, and we received it and so much more," said Mia's mom Wendy Wilson. "Because of fundraisers like this, there are funds available to research, develop and implement treatments."

"The Mott Mile takes away the victim status and empowers these kids and their parents to help others," said Parent. "You are so grateful that your child is still alive. To celebrate them in a public way is awesome."

For more information on the Mott Mile and all the events at the Big House Big Heart Race, go to www.thebighousebigheart.com.