Held in Warrenton, Eastern Missouri, ”Slim’s Journey” raised $19,000 on September 12, 2015 for FARA!

Slim's Journey is held each year in September.  This year was the fourth annual event, with nearly 300 attendees this year.  The event is a 5k run / 2.5k walk, and participants could register for either event.  The 5k competitors vied for honors along gender line; top male finisher and top female finisher, along with top three finishers in specific age and gender brackets.  Along the route, information about FA was available; including a personal account of challenges faced by an individual with FA.

Slim’s Journey has raised a total of $89,000 for FARA. Next year marks the fifth year of the event, and a huge milestone for the event organizers. We hope to meet our $100,000 fundraising goal. 

Have you ever heard the one about the deaf guy cleaning an apartment for the blind guy? I promise you, the real story is funnier than what you might be imagining!

We laughed over this and many other comical scenarios thanks to a stand-up comedy show put on by Funny 4 Funds; the group hosts comedy events as a fundraising platform for local causes. On July 31st, nearly 200 people packed the VFW in Cranston, RI to enjoy some entertainment while raising funds and awareness for FARA. With a silent auction raffle, T-shirt sales, and ticket proceeds, the night raised $6,000 for FARA – nothing funny about that, just a great success for the hard-working team! It was exciting to see a packed house supporting FARA and great that everyone left with a smile, clutching their sides. 

This year it was my honor to again host the FA Adventure Days. Every year as the day grows nearer and the intensity of the organization I need to do to make it happen increases, I wonder why I committed myself to it and/or whether or not I overcommitted myself again. This felt especially true this year.

But guess what? Just like every other year, the day happens and I know exactly why I did it. People traveled a good six or seven hours and stayed in hotels just to spend the day with us. Our FAmily is amazing! One day my dad hit it right on the head. He said: “it is a community you never want to be part of (because it means you or someone you love has FA), but it is an amazing community.”