Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/03/2010 -- Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is excited about Diarra Payne, a 17-year-old Allen resident and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) patient. Diarra will serve as a 2010 Patient Champion for the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon benefiting TSRHC.

The Patient Champions serve as young ambassadors for TSRHC, representing thousands of patients treated at the hospital each year. Runners can create their own online pledge page in honor of our six patient champions, to encourage support from friends and family, with all donations benefiting TSRHC.

Since 1997, the hospital has been the primary beneficiary of the Dallas White Rock Marathon, which includes a full and half marathon, 5-person relay and the SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge presented by Behringer Harvard. This year's marathon will take place on December 5.

About Diarra Payne
Diarra, age 17 of Allen, Texas, has been a patient at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children since June 2005. She receives treatment at the hospital for iopathic scoliosis http://www.tsrhc.org/scoliosis-spine.htm - curvature of the spine - and had surgery at TSRHC to correct her curve in October of that same year. Diarra is a senior at Booker T. Washington for the Performing Arts and Visual Arts where she is highly active in dance class. She is also involved in Girl Scouts, lacrosse and her school's yearbook and communications committees and participated in the summer Junior Volunteer program at TSRHC. Diarra has loved her experience at TSRHC, and the doctors and staff have inspired her to one day fulfill her dream of becoming a pediatric orthopedic surgeon http://www.tsrhc.org.

About the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon
Voted the top marathon and half marathon in the state by Competitor Texas magazine, the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon features a scenic course that includes a flat and fast 10-mile loop around White Rock Lake, and is a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. With a new start and finish in Fair Park, the 2010 race will provide runners, volunteers and family members with added parking and maneuverability, while maintaining the same great running experience it's had for the last 40 years. The primary beneficiary of the weekend events is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit the official MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon website at http://www.runtherock.com.