It has been a dream of mine to run the NYC Marathon. I remember watching Natalie Morales from The Today Show doing a segment on the NYC Marathon and thinking how it must be so amazing to be able to run it. That was in 2006, and at the time, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have run to the stop sign, let alone 26.2 miles. But I knew I wanted to run it one day - so now (nearly 20 years later) here I am.

I chose to run for the charity Answer the Call. Answer the Call financially and emotionally supports the families of NYC fallen first responders. They provide the family with an initial gift of $50,000 and an annual stipend to the widow/widower thereafter for the rest of his or her life. They also provide a network of support and plan events for their families.

I think the first responders of NYC hold a special place in all of our hearts, especially after 911 when so many lost their lives. It takes an extraordinary person to be willing to sacrifice their life for others - total strangers - and to leave their home and family every day knowing they may not make it back. I, myself, am definitely more of the run for cover type of person, but my husband has been in law enforcement and a first responder for all of his career. He has what I don't have. So - the least I can do is help raise money for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and it's an honor to be able to help the families of the fallen.

Please check out the website to learn more about the services Answer the Call provides and what your donation will be going towards: https://www.answerthecall.org