Kami Kalaty, a New York resident, ran the TCS New York City Marathon with Team Lifeline in memory of his daughter, Sarina. Shortly after Sarina was born, she was diagnosed with a genetic disease called Wolman’s. Her short life reminds Kami and his wife Dina how precious every day is.
“Life is like a marathon,” says Kalaty, “You get through the challenges and discomfort as long as you keep your eye on that finish line.”
The TCS New York City Marathon is the world’s biggest and most popular race. This epic run began as a small group running in Central Park and has grown to over 50,000 participants running in all fice boroughs. As one of the marathon’s Bronze Charity Partners, Team Lifeline was made up of 22 runners who raised a total of $122,834.00 for Chai Lifeline!
Team Lifeline is an endurance training program that brings teams to destination races to raise funds and awareness for Chai Lifeline. Team Lifeline offers individuals the opportunity to reach a personal goal, while helping make a seriously ill child smile. After weeks of training to prepare for the marathon, crossing that finish line is incredibly rewarding. Doing it for an extraordinary cause brings that reward to a whole new level. Each individual participant is making a difference in the life of a sick child and their family. It doesn’t get better than that.
Chai Lifeline’s mission is to bring joy to children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Chai Lifeline’s multitude of programs were created to alleviate the emotional, social and financial challenges facing families living with pediatric illness. Chai Lifeline provides fun and support to these children, their parents and their siblings. Chai Lifeline provided that support to Kalaty and his wife. In their time of darkness, Chai Lifeline was their light.
Team Lifeline provides an incredible weekend experience for their runners. Team Lifeline participates in four amazing races each year, including the Miami Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, NYC Marathon and Lake Tahoe Bike Ride. To learn more about Team Lifeline, visit us at www.teamlifeline.org. Register today and help us make a difference!