Help Brittany raise money

Hi everyone!

This year I’ve volunteered to run the Falmouth road race for The Keep Smilin’ 4 Abbie Foundation in August. Most of you know I’m not the biggest runner other than my 1 week stint on x-country in 7th grade :) but this charity is near and dear to my heart as Abbie was one of my closest friends throughout middle and high school.  

Abbie similarly shared a love for all things Justin Bieber and later One Direction that really solidified our friendship. Some may say we were “obsessed” but hey who wasn’t? Abbie had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. She always knew how to make you laugh and when to force a hug on you when she knew you needed it, even if you didn’t know it yourself. She was unapologetically herself which is something I always admired. There is no one else I would have wanted to stand outside in the pouring rain with to meet 5 Seconds of Summer and have our five minutes of fame. She was the funniest and the most inclusive person I’ve ever known and I am so lucky to have shared such a vital part of my life as her friend.

In December of 2013 eight days before her 16th birthday, Abbie tragically passed away after suffering an anaphylactic reaction. This definitely changed the course of my life at 15 years old and helped me to decide to pursue a career in nursing. My freshman year of college I got a random roommate who suffered from similar allergies to Abbie. Aside from the allergies, in a lot of ways she reminds me of Abbie. She went on to become my best friend and is still my current roommate! I’m not one to believe in “god signs” but I took this as a little sign from Abbie :)

This foundation was created by her family to keep her memory alive as well as fund research to prevent similar tragic events from occurring to other families. Over the years, Keep Smilin’ 4 Abbie has partnered with the Harvard Wyss Institute and their latest achievements can be seen on their website https://keepsmilin4abbie.org/

Due to COVID-19 the race will be held virtually and I will complete the race on my own. To be honest I’ve never run over 4 miles so I’m going to challenge myself to get this done in one day without walking (which may seem like a small feat but I don’t think you guys don’t understand my lack of athleticism)!! When Mrs Benford first reached out I didn’t know how long this race was and I thought she was asking me to run a marathon and I panicked a bit so 7 miles is a cake walk to that :)

I am looking to raise at least $3,000 for the Keep Smilin’ 4 Abbie foundation by August.I understand this past year has been extremely challenging on everyone, so if you are not in the position to donate please consider sharing the message of this amazing foundation!

Any and all support is welcome and very much appreciated!!! xoxoxox and keep smilin’ :)