Happy Valley Half Marathon & 5K

When I first moved to Northampton, MA in January 2025, I was unexpectedly hit with a serious (and still unexplained) vitamin deficiency that significantly impacted my daily life. While navigating diagnosis and treatment, I soon became aware how understaffed and overstretched the local medical providers are.

While private citizens shouldn't have to fundraise to ensure quality medical services, since that's the situation facing residents of the US, I'm running a race to help support a new Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department here in Northampton, MA. I'm fortunate to be back to running after months where walking was difficult. This race is a celebration of returning to health and a small way to give back to my new local community.

About Transforming Emergency Care: Campaign for the Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department
Cooley Dickinson’s Emergency Department is 40% undersized to meet the community’s needs and cares for many patients who require critical medical attention. The number of patients visiting the department has grown from 17,000 annually in the 1970s to nearly 34,000 in recent years. For those patients, Emergency Department teams treat approximately 300 traumatic injuries per year; last year alone over 6,000 patients needed to be admitted for further care. The current Emergency Department was not designed to face the challenges of the 21st century; it does not have the space to care for this many patients or to provide the specialized care our community needs. With your support, Cooley Dickinson Hospital can design a new, future-oriented ED that centers on caring for you, your loved ones, and our community.!

Name Donation Message