Help Kelly raise money

On March 4, 2021 I lost my aunt Doreen - she died with Alzheimer's and it broke my heart. Everyone has a "favorite" in their family, and she was mine. Doreen and I shared birthdays right next to each other (May 15th and 16th) and growing up, she was always up for an adventure, no questions asked. Ice cream for breakfast? Sure! Adventure to the beach? Sure! She was my best friend and the first person I wanted to share everything with. She always encouraged me to chase my dreams and I always thought to include her in almost everything I did. Having worked in healthcare I knew what her diagnosis meant, but I didn't want to believe it. I watched the essence of her disappear right in front of me and for a while after her death I struggled to process the cruelty of this disease. I threw myself even deeper into running and as a result met a lot of amazing people, some were even people that I had grown up with and as it turns out, Alzheimer's had touched their lives too. I am ready to share my person with all of you and raise funds to help end this horrific disease. Not be political, but with funding being cut to medical research, it's critical now more than ever, to help support organizations that are striving to find cures and support the families, loved ones, and communities left behind. Please consider donating to help me in this fight and to help everyone who has lost someone they loved with Alzheimer's. 

Doreen was a gifted sailor, loved art and being creative, and marched to the beat of her own drum. I strive to live my life as fully as she lived hers. She spent time growing up in Rhode Island and Panama; she never met a coastal location she disliked and longed for hot sunny days with endless blue skies. She loved her cat, Dexter, and her extended family. She was a pioneer and true badass - a single woman who loved life and living and adored her nieces and nephews as if they were her own. Doreen was the OG free spirit and a true friend to all who got to know her.