Dear Friends and Family,

This November 5th, I will be running my very first marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon, to raise funds for East African children born into poverty and diagnosed with cancer. 9 of 10 of these children will not survive, as compared to 1 out of 10 in the United States. The charity I am running for, Shoe4Africa, is committed to building the 1st children’s cancer hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa.  In 2015, they opened the 1st public children’s general hospital in East Africa which provides vital care to  400+ patients a day.

I was introduced to this charity and it’s founder Toby Tanser, through my amazing friend Ali Yoon, who will be by my side on marathon day.

I travelled to Kenya for the first time with Ali and her family in February 2019. We visited an orphanage and helped with various needs of the children. I had just graduated nursing school so I was drawn to helping the on-site nurse. With the help of friends and family who had donated, I was able stock her with as much medication, supplements, wound care supplies, and even the funds to cover the cost for children like Grace, who was overdue for a much needed appointment, to go be seen by a doctor at a local clinic.

I am so honored to be able to raise money and run for a team with a cause that I am passionate about and have a personal connection with. Shoe4Africa has already made such an impact, but they need our help to continue to do so and complete this new Children’s cancer hospital. Donations to this cause are tax deductible, and 100% of the funds raised will go directly to making this hospital a reality, as well as a difference in how many more children in East Africa that will be able to receive care.

My goal is to be able to return to Kenya and have the opportunity to personally witness the great strides Shoe4Africa is making in healthcare. Now as an experience Registered Nurse, I feel like I have even more to offer to this community and would love to be able to care for these children to greater lengths.

A donation of any amount will be so appreciated by myself and this organization. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions about the cause, marathon advice from fellow runners, or NYC recommendations! This will surprisingly by my first time ever visiting the city, so what better way to see it all than running 26.2 miles through it?!

Thank you again for taking the time to read about this incredible cause and your consideration for a donation!

Lots of love,

Annie