Michael Fiorillo and the Alzheimers Foundation

Friends and Family,

For my 30th birthday this year I will be participating in the David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge to raise money for Michael Fiorillo and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.  From April 22nd-24th I will be running 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours, for a total of 48 miles in 2 days.

For those of you who do not know, my father-in-law Michael Fiorillo was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in 2012 at the age of 54 - many years earlier than the average diagnosis. As the disease often does, it has progressed quickly. Future in and out of home care, therapy, doctors visits, medications and everyday living expenses are just a few of the many out-of-pocket financial responsibilities. As you can imagine all of this is physically, emotionally and financially draining for a caretaker. While I always wish I could be around more to help, everyday life and circumstances make that difficult. So this is how I know how to help.

While I know it’s not in their nature to share their struggles or ask for assistance, my goal is to continue to bring much needed awareness to this disease and in the process provide at least some temporary support for Mike & Gail. 100% of donations will go directly to the Fiorillo's for immediate & future healthcare needs as well as the Alzheimer's Foundation of America to assist others in similar situations. The mission of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is to provide support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias nationwide, and fund research for better treatment and a cure.

Although health and fitness is a huge part of my life, running long distances is not something I do often or particularly well. But as I approach 30 and close out one of the most difficult and turbulent years of many of our lives, I am more passionate than ever about becoming the best version of myself. The only way that I know how to do that is to constantly challenge myself and to help others in need, especially the ones I love most. While looking for a way to do both, I came across the 4x4x48 challenge.

My initial thought was "WOW that sounds tough" immediately followed by "I'm in.” After reading up on David Goggins story and looking into others who have completed this challenge, I discovered that people all over the world have used this platform to raise over 3 million dollars for tons of different charities. I know being a part of that and putting a cause behind the run will help motivate me to finish.

If you are able to contribute in any capacity THANK YOU. If you are not in a place to do so, instead shoot me a text or message to help push me through the end of mile 48. Updates on where and how the money raised was used will be provided in the future. Please feel free to repost & share. I appreciate you all!