An open letter and request for help

Dear friends and family members,

I’m writing to you today because I have undertaken a major personal challenge and I need your help. I will complete the 13.1‑mile Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon on July 17 as part of CCFA’s Team Challenge. This will be my fifth half marathon (I began running half marathons in San Antonio in 2008), but to paraphrase one of my teammates, “I would run around the world if it would cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.”

Crohn’s and colitis1 affect far too many people — over 1.4 million Americans at last count. And sadly, according to recent research, Wisconsin has the highest incidence in the world of Crohn’s disease among children.

I realize we are still in a tough economy, but the truth is that Crohn’s and colitis don’t take a break when times are tough. As just two examples:

• There continue to be newly diagnosed children and teenagers who end up having their colon removed in emergency surgery.
• And there continue to be people who’ve fought the disease for so long (and lost so much of the digestive system) that they now must receive life sustaining nutrients via a permanently implanted IV line.

But there is good news. Significant research progress has been made, leading to better treatments and moving us closer to finding the cure. Donations from friends like you have made — and continue to make — a real difference. CCFA is among the top rated charities (according to groups like the American Institute of Philanthropy, Charity Navigator, and others), with at least 80 cents from every dollar going to mission critical programs. So even a small donation makes a difference.

To Donate:

With your help, we will make a difference. As a Team Challenge participant, I’ve set a goal to raise $3,800 in donations for CCFA. Please help support me by giving whatever you can (no donation is too small!):

http://www.active.com/donate/napa11wisconsin/napa11KBarnes

Finally, please share/forward this link to anyone you know who might be interested. And thank you in advance for your support!

Kevin A. Barnes

1. If you aren’t familiar with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, you can learn more from CCFA: the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. And you can find news and other information about Crohn’s, including the story of my personal fight against this disease, elsewhere in this website. [↩]