About MArio Landeros
Mario Landeros’ passion for helping children comes from a deeply personal place — a desire to ensure that every child has the chance to experience a happy, healthy childhood.
Born into a family living in poverty, Mario grew up watching his parents work tirelessly to provide for their three children. His father labored in the fields as a farm worker, while his mother cleaned homes — both driven by love and sacrifice. The family shared a small one-room apartment and often relied on government assistance just to get by.
"I used to think you needed wealth to change the world. Now I know all it really takes is the will to act. What I lacked in money, I made up for with time, creativity, passion, and determination — and those became the tools that shaped my purpose."
That mindset led Mario to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, where he volunteered for years helping bring comfort, play, and joy to children facing serious illnesses. Those experiences opened his heart even further — but they also revealed the painful reality that not every child got better.
“Over the years, there were children who could no longer participate in events because they’d grown too sick — or they’d passed away. That was something I couldn’t just accept. It pushed me to do more.”
In 2012, Mario embarked on his first cross-country journey on foot to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — an 18-month, life-changing mission that took him across 23 states. He set out on another transcontinental walk in 2019, again to raise money for St. Jude.
In early 2026, Mario will begin one final cross-country trek — a journey that, when complete, will total more than 10,000 miles walked in support of St. Jude.
“In those two years I spent on the road, I met young St. Jude patients, their families, and parents who had lost children to cancer. Their stories became my fuel. They gave me purpose.”
Today, Mario continues to walk — not just across states, but alongside the countless children and families whose courage inspires him to keep moving forward. His mission is simple yet powerful: to walk so that others may have the chance to live, laugh, and dream.