Dear friends and family,
I will be running the New York City Marathon this year on November 7th to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I am running in memory of my brother, Jim, who died by suicide in 2017 at the age of 39. Jim introduced me to running when I was young, and although I hated it at first, I quickly grew to love it. I ran competitively throughout high school and have completed 6 marathons in the years since. Jim came to many of my races throughout the years and was always very supportive and encouraging. Since Jim's death, running has been something that has been very healing for me and has helped me stay close with him, so I can’t think of a better way to honor him.
Throughout my life, I have known far too many people who have been personally impacted by suicide, and like most, never thought it would happen to me or my family. Having experienced the outpouring of support from friends and family, I wanted to give back and have been volunteering with the AFSP for the past 3 years. It is an incredible organization that provides many resources and support to people who have been affected by suicide. Their core focus is not only assisting those in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy, but also in raising awareness about mental health issues and helping to end the stigma in the hopes that people are not afraid or ashamed to reach out.
Please consider helping me reach my goal by donating to this important cause and feel free to pass this email along to anyone you know that may be interested in contributing. Thank you.
With sincere appreciation,
Kayce
