5K benefits ‘Beauty Bags for Alexis’

Alexis Vega was a “girly girl” who liked to dress up and wear makeup, said her mother, Mia.

An 11-year-old student at Legacy Traditional School, Alexis died in September after a three-year battle with leukemia. Mia is a fourth-grade teacher at the charter school off Bowlin and Porter roads.

Proceeds from the school’s third annual 5K Fun Run on March 31 will support “Beauty Bags by Alexis,” a program started by Mia to assemble bags filled with cosmetics and skin-care products to donate to preteen girls at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where Alexis received treatments.

“Alexis loved the hospital,” Mia said. “But most of time when people bring things to give to kids it’s for the younger kids, teddy bears and toys, and we thought it would be good to give to Alexis’ age group.”

When Alexis died, Mia and husband, Raul, wanted to do something for the preteens in the hospital’s cancer center, so they made beauty bags and donated them over the holiday break.

Now, her coworkers at Legacy are behind the effort with fundraisers to buy items for the bags.

They have held a car wash, bake sale, sponsored dress-down days and now are donating proceeds from the 5K race and 1-mile walk.