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Fundraisers

Get to know causes that KultureCity supports and make your donation.

Amy Belles

Every step, every mile for Carson.

Life is pretty different than I imagined. The last 18 years couldn’t be further removed than how I thought life would go. And if I look at life through that lens, it would be quite easy to feel defeated, and feel life isn’t fair. But if there is one lesson we can all learn from the past few years, it’s that none of us know what’s going to happen next in our lives. Our whole world can be turned upside down in an instant, and still we find a way to adapt. We just do.

Autism has meant life has been incredibly challenging at times. For Carson, and for me. On top of that there’s been typical life challenges. Missing out on things to meet his current needs has been challenging, isolating. Missing friends and family, and missing out on social events in order to meet your child’s needs, is one of the most challenging things for autism parents. You can’t ‘just’ go to the park, to a party, to a restaurant, on a vacation, be around other kids, or go to the zoo. Even the simplest things like waiting can be incredibly stressful. It’s easy to become more and more isolated from a community we need. We are hardwired for social interaction and relationships, we have a need to connect. When that starts to fade away, it can be incredibly difficult.

This is why I run. Why I am running my 27th (Akron) and 28th (New York City) marathon for KutureCity. Why I care so deeply about this organization and the mission, to create a more inclusive world for those with sensory, communication and behavioral needs. With the right adaptions and accommodations, there are so many experiences that are possible. So many experiences our kids don’t have to miss out on. We want their world to be bigger, but also a happy one. I couldn’t be more hopeful for more community spaces with inclusive spaces, learning about our children’s needs, and welcoming to all. That maybe one day our lives won’t have to be quite so hard and isolating.

I can say these two marathons will be my biggest challenge yet, and my most rewarding after the past few months. My goal is to raise $5000 for KultureCity. Every step, every mile, every dollar means a bigger and better and more patient world for Carson and for others like him. Parenthood is about celebrating and accepting the child you have, not what you thought they would be. I believe the best days are ahead of us. Thank you for caring about us, supporting us, and loving us. ❤️

$5,000 raised of $5,000

Sean Culkin

Sean is running NYC for KultureCity

I am proud to announce that I am running the NYC marathon for KultureCity on November 5th 2023!  This will be my second year running for sensory inclusion with hopefully many more years to come.

Being diagnosed as autistic at 2 years old, the only thing in life guaranteed for me was difficulty.  As I grew up I resented being autistic and hated who I was.  Like most of the world at the time I viewed autism as strictly a hinderance.  A disease.  Something wrong with me that would define who I am and limit who I can become.

KultureCity was the first organization to approach me and show me that I could love who I am.  That I could accomplish so much by embracing who I am.  That I can inspire others to create a more inclusive world for all.

As of today I am a 5 year board member of KultureCity.  I have had the honor of sharing my story with people from around the world.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to educate and train industries and organizations such as sports teams/arenas, zoos/aquariums, emergency services, restaurant groups, school systems, and so much more.

But my biggest pride is having the chance to inspire others to share their stories.  To see those with disabilities convey their feelings and emotions healthily for the first time and to show family members that a better world is coming for their loved ones.

But this is where I need your help!

If you can, please donate to my fundraiser so you help myself as well as all of the other hard working team members of KultureCity continue our work.  This ensures that we can healthily grow into an organization that can ensure sensory inclusion globally for years to come.  You can learn more at https://www.kulturecity.org.

$2,820 raised of $5,000

Caroline Culkin

Caroline runs NYC Marathon for Sensory Inclusion

I am SO excited to share that I will be running my FIRST New York City Marathon with my older brother Sean Culkin for KultureCity!! KultureCity is the nation’s leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance. 1 in 6 Americans have sensory needs which means they struggle to cope with external environments that overwhelm their senses. KultureCity works with first responders, major event spaces, and other public forums to ensure staff are properly trained and venues have appropriate access to the tools needed to help someone through a sensory event. This encompasses everything from training first responders on how to spot the signs of a sensory event and help individuals through it to building sensory rooms in NFL stadiums so that families have a place to go if the crowd becomes overwhelming. They strive to make the world a better, more inclusive place for all, every single day. I am thrilled to help further such an incredible mission and continue to make the nevers possible for families like mine!!

Running the NYC Marathon has always been a dream of mine but running for KultureCity and Sean makes the experience so much more impactful. Sean is an autism self-advocate on the board of KultureCity, a phenomenal public speaker, extremely devoted friend, an inspiration to everyone he meets, and most importantly a phenomenal older brother. KultureCity has given Sean an incredible platform to speak about the challenges he faced growing up as he navigated different social settings with a form of autism known as Aspergers. By telling his story, Sean has empowered other members of the community and beyond to dream big and not accept societies limitations while continuing to strive for their goals. As a board member at KultureCity, Sean has also been instrumental in helping spread awareness and fundraising so that the KultureCity team can continue to do the incredible work that they do.

At KultureCity, their mission is to “make the nevers possible”. For families with children who have a sensory disability, like ours, routine occasions like going out to dinner, setting up playdates, seeing their favorite sports team, etc. can seem impossibly hard. So much so, that families often leave these experiences exhausted, disheartened, and thinking that they could “never do that again” because they were unable to properly address their child’s sensory overload in the public setting. KultureCity’s mission is to “make the nevers possible” so that people with sensory disabilities can experience the same joys as other families and ensure that they feel comfortable and supported while doing so.

Please join me in furthering this wonderful organizations mission by donating to my fundraiser for KultureCity! You can learn more about KultureCity at https://www.kulturecity.org/. Thank you for your support and I hope to see you at the finish line 🙂

$2,165 raised of $5,000

Adrienne Bunn

Adrienne’s journey to Hawaii

Meet Adrienne…

Adrienne Bunn is a 17-year-old autistic woman. Through determination, hard work and a love for sport she has overcome adversity to prove that a diagnosis does not define an individual – and that women and girls everywhere can make their dreams a reality.

On October 14, 2023, Adrienne hopes to receive a World Record for Youngest Autistic Woman to Complete an Ironman when she competes in the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i.

Help Adrienne achieve this ambition and Make the Nevers PossibleTM for other individuals like herself by following her journey, sharing her story and contributing towards her fundraiser!

Adrienne’s story…

Adrienne was diagnosed with autism aged 4. Despite her parents’ concern about missing developmental markers, hyperactivity and meltdowns, diagnosis was an uphill struggle due to medical professionals’ dismissal of her behaviors as lack of parental discipline.

This lack of support continued into Adrienne’s school career. Bullying meant she moved school often. Her behavior in class led to the insistence of teachers that she was medicated. No support was offered to her or her family.

Shortly after starting medication, Adrienne was a shell of her former self with little of her natural personality or energy. At this time she was also given a task in P.E class to run circuits of the school parking lot. This was a turning point for Adrienne.

The circuits were predictable, she could run them independently and her progress was measurable as she would receive a token for each circuit completed from her teacher.

Soon after, Adrienne was using running as a strategy with which to navigate her life and was even joined on her adventures by therapy dog Otis! She began to regulate her anxiety and agitation with exercise. Running had transformed her quality of life entirely.

Since beginning her journey with running Adrienne has competed in over 25 races. Through these events Adrienne has gained confidence, self-esteem and unconditional acceptance in the sporting community. These monumental strides were all made possible by physical activity.

Adrienne’s love for running, swimming and cycling combines perfectly in triathlon. Her ultimate goal is to cross the finish line at the Ironman World Championship held on October 14 2023 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i. In doing so she will travel 140.6 miles, and every step will prove the power of sport in the lives of those with autism. She also hopes to achieve the World Record for Youngest Autistic Woman to Complete an Ironman.

Adrienne hopes that her showcase of resilience on the world stage will inspire other women and others with autism to make their own dreams a reality.

Get involved…

You can help Adrienne achieve her goal by donating to her target. These funds will allow her to travel and compete in the Ironman World Championship, shining a light on how she has overcome the adversities she has faced from autism and inspiring others to do the same.

Updates

Adrienne turned 18 on July 22 and the next day competed in the Ohio 70.3 Ironman. She raced it beautifully with her guide, Dan, and they completed the race in a blazing time of 5:39. With this performance, she became the youngest person with autism to ever complete a half Ironman! Congratulations Adrienne!

$18,406 raised of $30,000

Kristin Runs NYC Marathon ’23 for KultureCity

This year, I will be running my first New York City Marathon with KultureCity, an organization that supports individuals with disabilities by creating sensory accessibility and inclusion for all. I am thrilled to be running my first NYC Marathon, but even more excited to support inclusion for individuals with disabilities in the process. 

As a special education teacher, I see the impact that KultureCity has by creating sensory friendly events and opportunities for all individuals to participate in. Many individuals have sensory needs or invisible disabilities, including PTSD, autism, and TBI’s. Many public events may not be conducive for all, and unfortunately some individuals may withdraw from participating. KultureCity works towards ensuring that events are accommodating to all sensory needs by organizing sensory friendly events, training staff on how to make accommodations to events, and educating first responders on how to meet the needs of all. The nonprofit organization builds sensory friendly rooms, sends out mobile sensory friendly rooms for events, and provides sensory kits to individuals in need. By making small changes to events, KultureCity makes big strides towards inclusion for all. It is exciting to see events become more inclusive for all, so that students like mine can be included in all events. 

Please join me as I train for the 2023 New York City Marathon by donating to my fundraiser for KultureCity! You can learn more at https://www.kulturecity.org/. Thank you for your support and I hope to see you at the finish line!

$4,355 raised of $5,000

Danielle Yancey

Danielle Running NYC for KultureCity

Running 26.2 miles in the NYC Marathon on Sunday, Nov 5th, 2023.
This will be my 5th NYC Marathon and my 4th NYC Marathon for KultureCity! Wanting this to be the best one yet and raise the most I have raised for this race for KC!

 

Raising awareness and funds to help KultureCity further their mission to make our community and world more inclusive for those with sensory needs and invisible disabilities.

 

Join me as I train and run this year’s 2023 NYC Marathon and please help by donating through my fundraiser for KultureCity. Happy to cross the finish line for KultureCity and those with sensory needs and invisible disabilities and to help raise money to continue many programs across the US and world including: providing Sensory Bags at public venues, providing Mobile Sensory Stations at events, continuing to provide Sensory Inclusive First Responder Certifications across the U.S., building more Sensory Activation Vehicles to take to outdoor events (baseball games/concerts) and indoor events (conferences/exhibitions) and many more!

 

Those with sensory needs includes children and adults with autism and Down’s syndrome, military veterans with PTSD, adults with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke patients and many more.

Learn more by visiting their website at https://www.kulturecity.org

Hoping to cross the finish line again this year!! Please follow along with my training on IG and please support my fundraiser for KultureCity. Thank you!

$2,411 raised of $15,000

Purpose is Power

I am the proud mom of two beautiful boys, Ethan and Owen. In 2021 Ethan was diagnosed with Autism and so began the process of learning, understanding, and adapting to life with a child whose needs are different from his peers. For sometime, Ethan had struggled in social situations–we’d mostly noted that he was shy, but his shyness was at times paralyzing. It hurt to watch him not be able to enjoy events and places that other children navigated with ease and joy. The impact of this was pervasive; no person in our family was unaffected. If Ethan got anxious or uncomfortable, so did we. Oftentimes we would make changes (bringing two cars to parties, leaving playgrounds early if Ethan was overwhelmed) that directly impacted Owen’s experience and that caused him to miss opportunities that he’d otherwise enjoy. In these moments, it felt like choosing sides–picking one child’s needs and  preferences over the others. The guilt of making these decisions was crushing and cruel. 

One day I bought a family membership to a local zoo. As we entered I saw a sign indicating that the zoo was sensory friendly and made note to read more about the organization designated on the sign–KultureCity. As I began to scroll through the website I was awestruck. I downloaded the app and we used it that week, over spring break. I shared the social stories found on the app with both boys as we visited several places that were KC certified. Both children liked looking at the pictures and knowing what was to be expected, I felt less anxious because I knew we were prepared. More importantly, there were spaces and tools for us to use if needed; we could do things differently, rather than being denied. 

I had been an avid runner for a while before kids, before an Autism diagnosis, before I knew about KultureCity. I have turned to running as an outlet for stress many times in my life and I’m grateful for all that running has given me (health, friendship, and sense of accomplishment).  In 2020 I decided that I’d begin working towards running a marathon in all 50 states. While it is a long term goal, I am happy to partner with KCfit along the way. This year I will be running the Chicago Marathon, Antelope Canyon 50 Miler (my first 50), The Flying Pig Marathon and finally New York City 26.2. My goal is to not only fundraise for sensory acceptance and adaptive programs but to share my experience in hopes of helping others. Purpose is powerful and I am excited to run for an organization that I feel deeply connected to.

 

$5,175 raised of $10,000

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