This October I'm running the Hot Chocolate 15K with Team Snow City Arts - an organization that brings the arts to children in local hospitals - to honor my dear friend, Katie who passed away this past May. Any donations are greatly appreciated. Please continue reading below to learn more about my story and the organization.

Katie Kurcz was one of the most thoughtful, warm-hearted and vivacious people I knew. She and I became friends in a high school art class at Wilde Lake HS in Columbia, Maryland. She was a grade ahead of me and encouraged me to consider attending the college she chose - Syracuse University in New York. I eventually followed her there and loved running into Katie on campus, at sporting events and parties. About 2 or 3 months after I moved to Chicago in 2007, I heard from Katie that she would be joining me in the Midwest. I was so excited to be living in the same place as Katie yet again. I loved walking around the city and discovering new things (read: places to get frozen yogurt & homemade Italian ice) with Katie. Eventually, we attended each other’s weddings (both in Chicago) and became close friends with each other’s husbands. Katie & Alex were second parents to our dog, Barkley and would often take care of him when Jason and I traveled out of town. Katie made a profound impact on my life and I miss her every day. When I get sad, I try to remind myself to “be more like Katie” by spreading love to those around us and giving back to the community - two things Katie did every day.

In addition to her full time job at a not-for-profit, Katie co-founded the Snow City Arts Auxiliary Board and she established Team Snow City Arts - an annual fundraising run for SCA - which has generated tens of thousands of dollars and has brought awareness of the SCA mission to hundreds of new people. Snow City Arts is an organization that provides one-on-one instruction in the visual arts, creative writing, music, theater and media arts to patients at Rush University Children’s Hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, and Children’s Hospital University of Illinois. Running for Team SCA is one of the best ways I can think of to honor my friend Katie.