2022 Skate for Chicken

My Personal Fundraising Page

Join me in honoring our Fallen Heroes by supporting the dreams of their children as I fundraise for Angels of America's Fallen at the 2022 Skate for Chicken event hosted by Chick-fil-A Garden of the Gods!

About Angels of America’s Fallen:

Honoring our Fallen by Supporting the Dreams of Their Children

Angels encourages and supports healthy developmental activities for the children of fallen firefighters, military, and law enforcement. Angels empowers children of the Fallen to participate in healing developmental activities such as sports, music, and other arts as positive outlets for their grief from the time of loss until they reach adulthood. By pairing children of the Fallen with mentors and engaging them in activities, the Angels are more connected to their schools and communities, have healthy alternatives to drugs and alcohol and increase resilience which decreases the risk of suicide.

#MissionMoment: Joelson

Joelson was an active child playing multiple sports. His father, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Roy Joel M., often served as his team's coach. However, upon the passing of his father, Joelson abruptly quit all those athletic passions he shared with him. Joelson didn't have the heart to play sports for nearly three years. In stepped Angels of America's Fallen and gave Joelson a renewed interest in competing in sports through a simple swimming activity session.

From Joelson's Mother: "(Joelson) enjoyed swimming so much that he asked me to sign him up for more. THANK YOU. You have no idea how much this means to me. His dad used to coach his teams, and the day that he died my oldest son quit all of the teams that we were on. He hadn't played a sport in three years. So the fact that he asked me to sign him up for swim team is huge!! Please share this story with your donors because it may not seem like much but to us, it means the world."

Today, there are more than 16,000 children in the United States who have lost a parent who volunteered to serve their country in the military or as a first responder. Most of the children are very young at the time of loss (average age – 7 years).

Statistics show that these children have a greater likelihood for depression, anxiety, poor academic performance, behavior problems, substance abuse, and even suicide. Angels of America's Fallen mitigates these risks by providing regular opportunities for participation in extracurricular interest such as sports, fitness, art, music, theater and other activities. Research demonstrates that feeling connected and engaged with at least two areas outside of family such as school/afterschool activities, positive peers, athletics, employment, religion, culture and the arts is a protective factor that can mitigate the risks associated with parental loss. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health, April 2016)

Our support comes at a time of great need for the children and the surviving parent. They often report experiencing shock and a “deer in the headlights” feeling after their loss, and we are there to assist them as they try to find a sense of stability and normalcy in their lives. As the surviving spouse struggles to keep the family emotionally and financially afloat, extracurricular activities that can be so beneficial to these at-risk children are often neglected. These surviving parents have so much on their plates that it can be difficult to sit down with their children to figure out the “what” and “how” of extracurricular activities.

#MissionMoment: Jennaca Realizing Her Dreams

Jennaca, the daughter of the late U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Michael M., dreamed of enjoying sports in a stress-free environment after many years of her family experiencing financial insecurity. That dream has been realized through the many generous Angel supporters enabling her to compete in lacrosse in high school and now in college at Clarkson University.

Jennaca wrote to Angels of America's Fallen: "I am writing to express my sincere gratitude towards the endless opportunities that have opened up to me thanks to the generous donors of Angels of America’s Fallen. My father took his own life due to PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt following the attacks of 9/11. This left my mom to raise and provide for my sister and I alone, not leaving any extra money for sports and extracurricular activities. Not only having one parent, but not being able to enjoy the carefree aspect of sports due to the stress of paying for them, was a constant struggle throughout my life.

"When I found out I was receiving money to support my high school lacrosse team spring break trip to Florida and Universal Studios, it was a feeling like no other. The stress taken off my shoulders finally allowed me to enjoy every aspect of the trip, sport and feel like a kid again after many years of financial insecurity. Now that I am continuing my lacrosse career at Clarkson University, I can finally enjoy the stress free aspect of sports I’ve always dreamed of as a kid.

"This has truly been a life changing opportunity that cannot be expressed how much it has helped me. Thank you again for the selfless generosity and thoughtfulness shown to me, it is greatly appreciated."

Children who lose a parent in childhood are at increased risk for PTSD, depression and anxiety, behavioral problems, poor academic performance, and suicide. Extracurricular activities can reduce such risk factors by improving resilience, which is “the successful adaptation to life’s tasks in the face of social disadvantage or highly adverse conditions” (Finn, 1997). Participation in the types of activities we support has also been shown to improve grade point averages, SAT scores, and attendance records (Craft, 2012).