Amanda’s Get Well Soon Birthday Fund

If you’ve met Amanda Howland, you know she is one determined woman who just doesn’t quit. Within just a couple years of beginning her running journey, she completed the Dopey Challenge at Disney (consecutive 5K, 10K, half & full marathon races - crazy, right?), and has continued to participate in local races as well as a few regional marathons. With some medical challenges behind her and others that she was still dealing with, Amanda entered 2020’s quarantine period training to run a faster marathon in mid-September. Just as she began her taper, something in her body went haywire, and she ended up with what looked like an allergic reaction but actually has the doctors perplexed at the moment. So she’s spending her 46th birthday in the hospital, getting poked and prodded while they try to figure things out. Not only is she getting a crummy quarantine-style birthday, but she and her husband are both missing time at work (Amanda is self-employed) while incurring the travel expenses of needing to go to Boston for her medical care. I’ve witnessed Amanda donate products and services to charitable causes, share her allergy-sensitive baked goods at events, and support fellow athletes with chalking and cheering, but have seen her ask for very little - only perhaps a bandage for a blister or for someone to join her on a few miles of a training run. Let’s give Amanda a boost on her birthday and chip in a little something to assist with this unexpected inconvenience.