Walk-n-Roll Held in Honor of Katherine Santiago
On Sunday May 16th, the 3rd annual Walk-n-Roll to Cure SMA in honor of Katherine Santiago was held in Millburn, New Jersey. Friends, family, teachers and neighbors joined together on a sunny spring day to walk, raise money and reminisce about a little girl who had touched all of their lives. Local area merchants provided refreshments for the one-mile walk and roll around the playground where Katherine had gone to school. Julia Santiago designed the 2010 Walk-n-Roll t-shirts.
The original walk planned three years ago was meant to be a small gathering of Katherine’s friends and family. The hope was to raise a little money for FSMA and awareness about SMA. The co-chairwomen of the event – Allie Mazzella (Katherine’s friend, now 15) and Julia Santiago (Katherine’s sister, now 9) were just little kids with big hearts. They had no idea that the event would receive such support – both in attendance and donations.
As in prior years, over 100 people attended the event this year. In the past, the event has raised $5,000 each year. This year, the organizers set a goal of raising $6,000 and as of today, that goal has been surpassed, reaching just under $7,000!
We are so proud of our granddaughter Allie Mazzella. She, along with the Santiagos, has done an amazing job in honoring her friend Katherine’s memory.