About a year ago, I decided that as I approached my 40th year, I needed to make some changes to be a healthier and happier person. A huge motivation for me was the desire to be a fit and active parent to the three little boys that I love so much. Thus began my #fitby40 campaign. Over the past year, I have reconnected with my love of physical activity (being a former high school and college athlete and past triathlete), become more fit and lost close to 30 pounds. Along the way, I trained for and completed a triathlon (on my 40th birthday) and (re)discovered a love for running. At the encouragement of some very persistent colleagues (#brady), I decided the next challenge for me was to complete a distance running event and the Twin Cities 10 mile training has now begun.

I am running this race because I want to challenge myself to do an endurance running event, but I am running for Children’s as part of Team Superstars because while I may have started running again for the love of my own three children, I am enamored with the idea of continuing to run on behalf of all of the children that we care for every day.

I could not be more proud to work for Children’s Minnesota. In addition to delivering the highest-quality, family-centered care, we are a unique place that truly puts kids first. ALL kids first. At Children’s Minnesota, no child or family is ever turned away for their inability to pay. Last year, funds from the Children’s Foundation helped over 2,000 families with their hospital bills. We also look out for the whole child and family, especially through our vibrant and committed Child and Family Services department who provide family resources, social work assistance, interpreter services and specialized pediatric child life care. As one example of their work, in 2016 our food pantry program distributed 9,603 meals to patient families. We also speak our families’ language. In 2016, Children’s had 90,598 interpreter interactions between care teams and interpreters, and provided interpreting services in 78 different languages.

In this time during which children need us to stand up and speak out for them more than ever, I am excited and proud to be running to raise money for Children’s, and in particular, for our Child and Family services programs and team. Please join me in standing tall for the small people who need us now more than ever, and give what you can to help me on this fundraising journey and help the kids and families at Children’s.