OUR BOSTON MARATHON TEAM
Meet the five fearless individuals running (and raising!) for Camp Kita as members of Team Kita's Boston Marathon® team!
Conor
Conor graduated from the University of New Hampshire last year and has been a runner all his life. This will be his first time running the marathon for Team Kita. He was inspired to run the Boston Marathon after his father, a police officer who has run the Boston marathon several times, was called to Watertown during the Boston Bombings. Conor now lives and works in Boston and is excited to spread the message of Camp Kita around his community!
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JENIFER
I am honored to run the Boston Marathon for Team Kita because their mission speaks to my heart. I, like so many others, have found myself wondering how to help family or friends with mental health struggles, or have been directly affected by suicide. The support for those who have lost a loved one, access to suicide prevention resources, and mental wellness tools that The Kita Center provides are so important. I will be running with a specific family from my community in mind. That sense of purpose and the funds raised can have a direct impact on them and other grieving children to connect and heal.
BRIANA
Join me in supporting The Kita Center/ Camp Kita, a charity dedicated to empowering children through outdoor experiences. By donating to this project, you will provide underprivileged children with the opportunity to attend Camp Kita, where they can develop important life skills, build self-confidence, and create lasting memories. Your contribution will help cover the costs of camp fees, transportation, meals, and necessary equipment. Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of these children and give them a chance to thrive in a nurturing and supportive environment. Let's give them the gift of adventure and personal growth!
Doug
Why running for KITA is important to Doug...
Running for Team Kita in Boston Marathon 2024 brings awareness to suicide prevention and mental wellness in our communities. As a past suicide survivor, I want to motivate people that a person like me can bounce back and live for something bigger than myself.
At camp, watching Melissa work is such a privilege. Melissa's care and compassion goes well beyond temperature checks, bandages, and ointments--she cures camper homesickness with her time and conversation, and eases camper worries with coloring pages and company. When she isn't at camp, Melissa works as a RN Care Manager at Wentworth Douglas Hospital, and enjoys her family time, riding horses, and her dogs!
EMILY
My name is Emma and this will be my 4th Boston Marathon. I volunteered to run for The Kita Center this spring in support of their mission to "prevent suicide by building intentional environments to foster connections and a lifelong engagement with mental wellness." Running is such an important part of my mental health and working in education, I see firsthand how vital it is for children to receive support, build connections, and feel seen and heard when they are processing and healing. Witnessing family members and dear friends struggle with their mental health this past year, I wanted to raise money to support The Kita Center in hopes that no family or child faces the heartache of grieving alone and support the goal of keeping the Camp Kita program free of charge.
THANK YOU!
The Kita Center is a a proud member of the The 2024 Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program for the 128th Boston Marathon®!
