Match Joey's Miles: To remember and honor Joey Dolan

This Memorial Day marks 4 years since Joey’s departure from our lives, it seems like each year it gets harder to face that fact.

This annual fundraiser has given my parents and I a piece of positivity to hang onto during this difficult time of year, and this time we’ve chosen to donate to an organization particularly close to our hearts.

The New Jersey Sharing Network is an organization that saves lives through organ and tissue donation and provides support to families of those who gave the Gift of Life. NJ Sharing Network helped take Joey’s loss and allow an opportunity to save others’ lives when we did not know how to move forward while he was on life support. I am proud to support them as they supported us through the worst experience imaginable, allowing a glimmer of hope for others who were suffering.

I am encouraging folks to ‘Match Joey’s Miles’ because one of my brother’s proudest achievements was hiking the Appalachian trail by himself for over 500 miles. My goal is to have people remember Joey by getting outside and logging miles of some kind whether it be hiking, biking, floating, or whatever connects them to nature and to Joey. The other piece of this is a donation that “matches the miles” you did through your activity of choice. The donation is entirely optional- it’s most important to me that people remember Joey and take some time to show support by doing something outside.

If you are able to donate, any amount is truly appreciated. And if you do an activity outside, please send me (Koty) a picture and some info about it, including the mileage! It means so much to me to see these efforts and feel the support of our family and friends.

P.S. you can do your activity and report back to me any time in the next week. Memorial Day is, in my heart, the day we lost him, but I don’t want anyone to feel pressured to participate on that date exactly.

Thank you for reading, participating, and remembering my brother. ♡♡