Racing to Improve the Lives of Those With Celiac Disease

After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease I knew right away that I wasn’t going to be someone that just suffered quietly with my diagnosis or just learned to “get by”. I had an immediate desire to be someone that was a passionate advocate for Celiac Disease research, awareness, and education. I think this desire was primarily driven by the fact that it had taken so long for me to receive my proper diagnosis and if at all possible, I didn’t want others to suffer through years and years of poor health if it is avoidable. My desire to be active in the Celiac community only intensified after  my four-year old daughter was also officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

Many ideas swirled through my mind of what I could do to play my part however, I’ve always been a believer that the best approach is to take a look around to see what other projects already exist that may already be pursuing the same mission and goals that are in line with my personal desires. Rather than dilute the impact that these organizations might have in achieving gains in Celiac Disease awareness by starting yet another initiative, why not seek to come alongside one of them and join them in the shared mission.

So, I have done that with Team Gluten Free, a fundraising arm of the Celiac Disease Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public benefit corporation dedicated to building awareness and a supportive community for patients, families and health care professionals dealing with Celiac Disease.

My wife and I are now members of Team Gluten Free and will be participating in some upcoming half marathons, marathons, and triathlons as a way to raise funds that will go directly to research, awareness, and summer camp scholarships for children with Celiac Disease. Our first event is the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon.

If you would like to support us in our efforts and, more importantly, help fund research, build awareness, and provide summer camp scholarships for children with Celiac Disease, please donate any amount to the Celiac Disease Foundation through our Team Gluten Free fundraising page.

All donations are tax deductible.