The Taylor Family Foundation, through its extraordinary summer camp experience, provides an environment where kids with life threatening and chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities can be kids and feel truly included. The Foundation runs Camp Arroyo in Livermore, a summer and weekend camp where children can laugh and play, build self-esteem and friendships, and most importantly spend time feeling loved and accepted for who they are. Many times the kids who attend this camp live a life of feeling different, out of place, and alone. I know that feeling all too well.

One day, not that long ago, I woke up and was allergic to nuts. The day before, my mom had brought me a big bag of walnuts - one of my favorites. I ate some the next morning, went for a run and thought nothing of it. A short while later, I was breaking out in hives, slurring my words and on the phone with the advice nurse who told me to call an ambulance.

Developing a serious nut allergy completely changed my life. All of a sudden, I had to worry about everything I put in my mouth. I can't just go out for dinner or even to a friend's house to eat without asking a dozen questions about how each dish was prepared. I always end up being the deciding factor on where to go and my friends and family are always having to make adjustments in their lives because "Katie can't eat that." I've always been a very independent person and now I'm dependent on other people to be aware of my needs. I imagine that's what it's like all the time for kids with Celiac disease. Luckily they get a break when they come to  Camp Arroyo, where meals aren't a constant source of stress.

When my classes at Gale Ranch Middle School in San Ramon decided to participate in The Taylor Family Foundation's Coins for Camper's campaign, I knew I wanted to do something big to help kids have an extraordinary summer camp experience. This year marks The Taylor Family Foundation's 20th year as a Foundation and 10 years of providing summer and weekend camp experiences for kids living with life-threatening and chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities. So I decided to dedicate my Cascade Crest 100-mile endurance run to the kids of Camp Arroyo.

It costs $500 to send a kid to camp. In honor of Camp Arroyo's 10 year anniversary, I'd like to send 10 kids to camp.

Won’t you help me in running for that dream?

Buy a mile:
Purchase a mile for $50. You can even request which mile you want to sponsor. (Email me what mile you would like and when you bought it)

Sponsor a training week:
Pledge 10¢ or 20¢ a mile for one or more weeks of my training during the summer (approximately 70 miles per week). Check my blog at the end of each week and I'll let you know my mileage - and some other fun stuff as well.

Donate:
Make a donation to send a kid to camp.

*****Please email me and let me know when you make any kind of donation, I would really like to add you to my donor page and to be able to say thank you. Also, please enter Katie's Mile for Smiles under the dedication/in memory of note in PayPal so The Taylor Family Foundation knows what your donation is for.

Be sure to send me an email, photos or comments so I can post them on my sponsor page.