Wildlife Operators Living Fund Inc

My name is Sydney Stephenson and I own and operate Gold Country Wildlife Control with my husband in Northern CA. On October 19, 2025 I am running my first marathon to raise money for the Wildlife Operators Living Fund (W.O.L.F). WOLF is a non-profit organization that offers financial assistance to wildlife operators and their immediate families in a time of need – from getting sick or injured on the job, or when insurance and other supplemental benefits are not enough to cover them during times of hardship.

The Sims family played a crucial role in the founding of WOLF. Susan Sims was on the job site with her husband Chris back in 2014 and in an instance she found herself falling headfirst from a ladder. She miraculously survived the fall, however, she experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury, had multiple breaks in her neck and back, and broken ribs. This put hefty medical bills on their family, and Chris ended up missing a lot of work to be there to assist Susan in her lengthy recovery, and continued to care for his wife for the years following the injury until she passed away in November 2024.

Their story is just one example of how accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, even when all safety precautions are being taken. There are so many stories out there that I’ve heard within our community of Wildlife Control where these hard-working individuals are faced with unimaginable tragedy ranging from slips and falls, to contracting a zoonotic disease, illnesses that go untreated due to lack of medical insurance, fatalities, and everything in between.

“I’d love to see it (WOLF) get to a place where it doesn’t matter how big of an accident happens. There’d be no hesitation. We could instantly help a family.”

Tracy Sullivan, Vice President of WOLF

Every dollar donated helps WOLF continue to provide assistance to Wildlife Control Operators and their families during hard times. I’d be so grateful to anyone who would consider supporting me in reaching my goal while I spend the next few months training to run my very first marathon.