2023 CZC New York Marathon

Over the past two years, both Caitlin and Niki have started their new hobby of running almost simultaneously. For Caitlin, that training started in preparation for a full marathon, and for Niki, it began with a half marathon. The connecting factor in both their training was they were doing it for a much bigger cause. They did this because it was fun and to hit their personal goals, but most importantly, to help their favorite organization, Comfort Zone Camp.

In December 2022, Niki qualified for the NYC half as a charity runner through CZC. Without hesitation, Caitlin was the first person in her corner, not only supporting her with donations and showing up to events BUT also offering to run with her every Sunday until the half marathon.

As luck would have it – both girls, through applications and some lucky girl manifestation, got into the NYC Marathon for 2023 on their own accord. They decided there wouldn’t be a better way to train for this run than to do it together over the next few months AND, of course, fundraise for Comfort Zone Camp since it is the thing that brought them together in the first place.

Caitlin and Niki believe a marathon is a great way to honor CZC and its goals of helping children with their grief journey. A marathon can be a powerful tool for coping with grief. When thinking about the physical and mental challenges of running a marathon, one realizes that it can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment like a weekend at camp can provide to a child going through grief.

When a child suffers a loss, it can be an emotionally challenging experience for children. Coping is often forgotten when healing from a closely related death because they may not have the tools and resources to help them fully understand or process their emotions. Losing someone is never easy and can be especially difficult for a child, and the grief of a loss can be overwhelming and confusing for them. Most traditions that honor or memorialize someone who has died seem to only be for adults and do not often allow a child to say goodbye in a way that comforts them.

It is okay for children to grieve at their own pace, and Comfort Zone is a camp that gives children this opportunity. They have created a safe place where children can say goodbye on their terms and leave the weekend with coping skills, memories, and new friendships to help them along their grief journey.

As Caitlin and Niki have trained and raised money throughout the years, they have realized what an amazing and supportive community we have within CZC – from volunteers and families attending camp weekends. They feel so lucky to be a part of this organization, to have found a friendship through running, and to be able to continue to send kids to camp!

TLDR...

We are participating in the TCS New York City Marathon - a fundraising event to give grieving children access to free Comfort Zone Camp programing, so they can learn how to cope in healthy ways.

1 in 12 children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18. The burden of bereavement disrupts family dynamics, strains social relationships, and emotionally isolates grieving children.

Every step we take and every dollar we raise brings us closer to giving more grieving children hope. Together we can provide grief relief to the 6 million grieving children in the United States.

Help us reach our goal by clicking donate!