5K in Colorado raises money for inclusive park in memory of Sterling Ranch resident
Over the weekend in Colorado, a charity 5K in Sterling Ranch raised over $20,000 for the nonprofit "Miles 4 Madison" which provides recreational opportunities to children with special needs.
The nonprofit was started by family members of Madison Reynolds. She and her family were among the first people to move into the Douglas County community. Because of a rare genetic condition, Madison was wheelchair-bound and didn't have the same opportunities to play when she was growing up. Now, her family is working to expand opportunities for other kids.
"Growing up with Madison was incredible; she was really inspiring," said Madison's brother, Cal Reynolds, founder of Miles 4 Madison.
Madison was born with lissencephaly, a rare genetic condition.
"Whenever you'd be able to get outside with her, she'd have that big smile on her face," Reynolds said.
Madison's family was told she wouldn't make it to her second birthday, but she lived to be 24, passing away shortly after her family moved to Sterling Ranch.
"I'm super proud to be her brother, and hopefully I'm doing a good job honoring her legacy," Reynolds said.
Six years later, nearly 300 of Madison's friends and neighbors ran in her memory at the third annual Miles 4 Madison 5K & Fun Run.
"Caitlin and I were helping give out the medals to the participants," said Sterling Ranch resident Tracy Hoel.
Tracy and her daughter Caitlin never met Madison, but they share a similar experience. Caitlin also has defied the odds, living with another rare genetic condition.
"Every day is a blessing with her," said Tracy Hoel. "She was born with a rare genetic disorder that affects girls called Aicardi syndrome, and her neurologist said she would live maybe one year. Caitlin just celebrated her 33rd birthday in May."
Caitlin has daily seizures, is intellectually disabled, nonverbal, and uses a wheelchair. She faces many of the same obstacles Madison did.
Along with Madison's family, Tracy Hoel has worked to advocate for and design an inclusive park in Sterling Ranch.
"If Madison were still alive today, she wouldn't have a place to play in Sterling Ranch still," Reynolds said. But soon that will change.
The eight-acre "Prospect Park" recently broke ground. Once finished, it will include a sensory area, playground, pool, picnic area, and turf field.
"So we have a poured-in play surface, ramps up to certain levels, different swings, different ways they can be secured, like zip lines for example," said Reynolds. "It just lets those kids that don't get that type of motion get motion."
"People with all kinds of disabilities, mobility issues, hearing issues will all be able to be included in the community instead of watching from afar," said Tracy Hoel.
Money raised at the Miles 4 Madison 5K will make the park possible.
"When a community comes together around someone who has experienced loss, you can take a tragic event and make it something that is hopeful," said Brock Smethills, president of the Sterling Ranch Development Company.
Smethills ran in the 5K and has been working with the Reynolds and Hoels to bring their hopes for Prospect Park to life. Her family says the park will be the kind of place Madison would have loved.
"Whenever we were able to get her out of the chair and get her moving, just seeing that smile was incredible," Reynolds said.
Thanks to Madison's memory, other kids will soon get to enjoy the park. The playground is set to open this spring, followed by the pool. Reynolds says it will be the first inclusive park in the Chatfield area.
Sterling Ranch has committed to incorporating inclusive elements in every park they build going forward.
