Dear Friends and Family,

Because I believe so strongly in Chai Lifeline’s work, I have decided to run the Miami Half-marathon this February to raise money for Chai Lifeline, a wonderful organization dedicated to helping very sick children and their families.

I am running this race in honor of a special young lady Sophie Spangenthal z"l, as well as in memory of my parents, Jeff and Lillie.

Camp Simcha, in particular, is a dreamland where Sophie had the chance to be whatever she wanted to be. The first year Sophie went to camp, she was only 4.5 years old. She went the entire 10 nights away from home without a second thought. For a short time, she was able to completely forget about her illness and treatment, and enjoy every single moment of her days surrounded by some of the most incredible friends, counselors and staff.

Sophie passed away a few days after returning from camp in July 2019. We love you Sophie and miss you every day.

Unfortunately, cancer is an illness that is close to home. Both of my parents passed away from cancer at the young age of 50. As I go through the hard work of training and running the race, I will be thinking of them every step of the way. I know they would be proud we are supporting this incredible organization that helps so many families get through these difficult times.

Chai Lifeline is an international organization that provides year-round emotional, social, and financial support to more than 3,000 children and their families every year. Chai Lifeline’s goal is to bring joy to children and hope to their families, enabling them to live full and happy lives despite the presence of illness. Their most famous program is Camp Simcha (and its sister camp, Camp Simcha Special); every year these two camps offer 400 kids a chance to forget about illness and just be kids again. (To learn more about Chai Lifeline, visit its website, www.chailifeline.org.)

Please consider donating to this cause as I run in honor of Sophie and in memory of my parents. Your help enables Chai Lifeline to continue to provide support and care for families who are battling this illness.

Please contribute by visiting my webpage-
https://www.teamlifeline.org/miami22/Member/MyPage/5064716/Daniel-Herskowitz
DannyHerksowitz

Thank you for supporting me, and in doing so, helping children and their families cope with the diagnosis, treatment, and aftermath of serious pediatric illness.

Danny