5,000 sing Zach Sobiech's 'Clouds' in his memory at Mall of America

Zach's mother, Laura Sobiech of Lakeland, wiped tears from her eyes.

"It was incredibly moving, and it was such a fitting tribute to Zach and his song and his legacy," she said.

His father, Rob Sobiech, said the huge crowd showed "the kind of community we live in here in Minnesota."

"Everybody came together, and it was for Zach, and it was for everyone in the room, and it was for other kids who have cancer," he said.

The event was organized by the KS95 for Kids Radiothon, which started Thursday. The two-day annual radiothon, a benefit for the Children's Cancer Research Fund and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, has raised more than $12 million since it was started in 1999.

Sobiech, who died of a rare form of bone cancer in May at age 18, got his first big break during the radiothon last year.

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