To know why I fundraise is to know who I am and who I have lost. Fundraising, to me, means caring for someone you may never know and believing that support alone can make change. Every dollar matters.
Park Center and Warner Parks are the beneficiaries of funds raised at the 2026 Winter Blues, a relay-style trail race in the woods of Percy Warner Park. Over one million people visit Warner Parks every year, and fundraiser dollars support essential park initiatives year-round. Park Center provides mental health support to people throughout Nashville, and fundraising helps ensure individuals can access services they may need but cannot afford. “Winter Blues” is a phrase often associated with seasonal depression, and the goal of the race is to bring people onto the trails to support each other while supporting a meaningful cause.
In the fall of 2022 and into 2023 loss consumed my life in a variety of ways, including losing one of my best friends and the man who raised me - my Papa. He was the most incredible runner I have ever known. He completed multiple marathons, including several majors, a few laps of The Barkley Marathon, and once ran 80+ miles on the Vanderbilt track for charity. Next to him was my Nina, an equally amazing runner. I love running because of these two.
He loved Warner Parks and ran there for over 30 years. He always said he wanted everyone to experience the magic of running and being in nature. Fundraising for Winter Blues helps support this magic and preserves a place he loved deeply.
I was furthermore blessed to have a second father figure - my biological dad. After a decade of distance, we reconnected in 2021. Our relationship required a lot of healing. We shared a struggle with alcohol, something I didn’t know he faced until he asked for help. He got help and experienced a period of sobriety before he died, something I will always be grateful that he got to have.
In July 2025, I lost my dad to cirrhosis, caused by his alcoholism. My dad was an active-duty member of the National Guard and went on multiple deployments in his life. One in nine active-duty military members has a substance use disorder, twenty-seven percent have a mental health disorder, and 70% never seek help. Park Center is a place where hurting people of any kind can find healing. When I think of the people they help, I think of my dad and his journey, as well as those who may not seek out the help they need until it’s too late.
On February 7, 2026, I am both racing at and fundraising for Winter Blues. February 7th is both my Papa’s and my dad’s birthday. In their honor, I am fundraising for Friends of Warner Parks and Park Center - nonprofits fighting for more life, more hope, and more joy for all people. I fundraise because every dollar counts. To two men in my life, from two different chapters - I am thankful for the chance to be on the trails and feel you with me, always.
