For Zoe

Last Saturday morning, approximately 30 people came together to form Team Zoe and participate in the Briggs and Al's Run and Walk for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  Team Zoe, one of many, many teams of walkers/runners, is the team formed in honor of my baby cousin, Zoe Mae, who was born with a congenital heart defect.  Now, almost a year-and-a-half old, Zoe is doing well.  It was really important for me to be a part of the team this year as I wasn't able to be there last year for Zoe's first walk, and I am so glad I was able to be there to experience the event with my family.

Though it wasn't an extremely early start to the day, a Starbucks stop was necessary, so I made my way there and ran into a few Al's participants on my way inside.  Then, I met Mom, Grandma, Deb and Auntie Lynn at State Fair Park.  From there, we took a shuttle to the Marquette campus, which was where the run/walk began and where Team Zoe was gathering.  As a very, very proud UW alum, I make it my mission to hate all things Marquette and normally wouldn't dream of spending time in enemy territory, but I was willing to briefly put aside my Badger pride in order to meet up with everyone and get the show on the road. 

Before the race began, we all got bandaids for our T-shirts, which we put on the heart that made the "o" in Zoe.  Then, we gathered at the startling and began the 2011 Al's Run and Walk.  Ed and Kaleena decided to walk the five mile course, and most of us joined them - it was a really beautiful morning for a walk, so five miles was no big deal; it was sunny and pleasant the entire time.  Volunteers were positioned all along the route and would cheer when we came by.  A "We Love Zoe" sign traveled with our group, and the volunteers and cheerleaders would cheer for Zoe whenever they saw the sign.  Zoe was very tried by the end of the race (she missed her morning nap), but she was a trooper, as she has always been, and she even walked across the finish line with her mommy and daddy.  It was a really sweet moment..and it must have been a great feeling for Ed and Kaleena, who have been through so much with Zoe!

After the walk, Team Zoe spent a bit of time hanging out and had lunch before parting ways...our group had to catch a bus back to State Fair Park. All in all, it was a wonderful day.  I enjoyed celebrating Zoe's personal victories and supporting Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and look forward to doing the same next year.  The only thing I am disappointed about is that my camera ran out of battery power just as I was trying to snap a picture of Zoe crossing the finish line...trust me when I say it was a really touching moment!

getting ready for the walk

Team Zoe T-shirts



The Italian ... with the Italian 

Deb, Auntie Lynn, Grandma, Mom and me 

Gearin' up 

Ed and Kaleena 


and we're off 

on Marquette's campus...anything can happen once



The whole group is together for the last time
ZOE <3


Walking like a big girl!


 cousin Dylan, Ed, Zoe and Kaleena

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just a Little Evening Adventure

Image
Sometimes you have those days that turn out to be so very different than you expected them to be.  Wednesday was one of those days.  We welcomed houseguest Tuesday evening, and I thought I might do a bit of climbing with them in the morning, but then I expected to return to my typical routine - take a hike/go for a run, do some work and head to the gym for some evening climbing with Brian.  Instead, we decided to solo the Second Flatiron, a six-hundred or so foot climb up one of Boulder's most notable landmarks.     To the best of my recollection, I have not soloed anything before (read: climb without a rope or protection/gear).  The only part that unnerved me, however, was the 'jump.'  This was a point where, along the climb, you are required to leap across a divide in the rocks. I decided the benefits outweighed the cost/risk/fear, and I joined Brian, Alex and Cait, our houseguest, and Josh, another Sconnie native and AdRock climber living the d...
Read more

Stylin' in My New Ride!

Image
Last Friday was an exciting day for me.  Though the new school year was rapidly approaching and my nerves were out of control in anticipation of starting a new school year in a new school with a relatively unfamiliar staff, I happily headed to the car dealership to pick up my new ride, a beautiful white Ford Fusion with all sorts of bells and whistles!   We haven't had a new car in the Runnells family in a few years...and that car quickly became Brian's.  This car, however, is all mine and I LOVE IT!!  A big THANK YOU goes out to my hubbers, who dealt with all the less-than-enjoyable stuff that went along with getting this car  (suffice it to say, our initial car salesman was less than professional and almost drove us to another  dealership).  I think about it each time I get into the car. Doesn't my ALUMNI plate holder look good?!  Want to listen to a little SIRIUS radio?  I'm lovin' making calls via my car Drivi...
Read more

Helping Chelsea and Kyle

Image
Brace yourselves... this is a long one...and I'm asking for your help. As some of you may know, someone very close to me, Chelsea Bullis, experienced a life-changing event on Sunday, June 10, 2012.  She and her boyfriend, Kyle, were in a terrible motorcycle accident that left them both seriously injured.   Chelsea and her family have always been a part of my life. Chelsea's Aunt Anita was my first babysitter, and eventually her grandma, Maureen, and  her mom, Lynn,  took turns taking care of my brother and me.  Chelsea's Aunt Lainey is my mom's very best friend.  Chelsea, her brother Chad, her cousins Sam and Rachael and I all grew up together.  We took summer trips together, and when I was old enough, I began taking care of Chelsea, her brother and her cousins.  Chelsea and her family were so close to me that we began referring to each other as cousins...and 20+ years later, it is still how we refer to one another.   So ...
Read more