My birthday on June 7 will be my first without my mother, Gale, who passed away earlier this year from cancer.

My mom spent her entire professional career supporting children and adults with intellectual disabilities. That work mattered deeply to her.

To honor her, I’ll be running a half marathon (13.1 miles) on June 7.

If you’d like to join me in honoring her life, I’m raising money for SpArc Philadelphia, an organization that continues the kind of work she believed in.

Thank you for your support.