Caroline runs NYC Marathon for Sensory Inclusion
$295 of $5,000
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 🙂
