TEAM MARY
In 2012, we started “Team Mary” to raise money for the Benaroya Research Institute. BRI has been in Seattle for more than fifty years and has made major breakthroughs in redirecting faulty immune systems so they don’t attack healthy tissues, especially for rare autoimmune diseases.
We wanted to start a grassroots effort where neighbors, friends, and those suffering from autoimmune diseases and their family members could come together to do something positive. Both Mary and I were Peace Corps volunteers and we believe strongly that individual actions can change the world for the better. This is our way to make a difference.
My wife Mary has three autoimmune diseases: Relapsing Polychondritis, which attacks her cartilage; Dermatomyositis, which attacks her muscles and skin; and Crohn’s Disease, which attacks her digestive system. These diseases have made life a daily struggle for Mary and millions of others who suffer from one or more of eighty identified autoimmune diseases. Benaroya Research Institute offers hope to people like Mary.
From 2012 to the present, we’ve done something every year to raise money for BRI. I raced in in the Seafair triathlon in 2012, and asked our friends to support me with donations to BRI. In 2013, we formed triathlon teams at the Seafair race to raise money, and Seafair inducted Mary into its Royal Court as the Princess of Perseverance and Positivity for our fund raising efforts. In 2014, Mary was the featured speaker at the Grapes on the Green auction, which raised a record $550,000. We also bought two tables at the auction. In 2015, I served on the auction’s fund raising committee, again bought two tables at the auction, and put together two auction items that were featured in the live segment of the auction. In 2016, we held an event to celebrated BRI, and to watch Seafair from the front lawn of our home above Lake Washington. Our guests had a ringside seat to watch the blue angels thunder over our house and the hydroplanes roar around Lake Washington. This year we held another BRI fund raiser during Seafair (August 4, 2019) and raised another $33,000 for research at BRI.
Join our fight by clicking the button below. In the section marked “in honor of,” type in “Mary Kastner” and contribute to BRI. As a thank you to anyone who contributes $200 or more, I’ll send you a free autographed copy of Race Across America and make you a member of Team Mary.
TEAM MARY
In 2012, we started “Team Mary” to raise money for the Benaroya Research Institute. BRI has been in Seattle for more than fifty years and has made major breakthroughs in redirecting faulty immune systems so they don’t attack healthy tissues, especially for rare autoimmune diseases.
We wanted to start a grassroots effort where neighbors, friends, and those suffering from autoimmune diseases and their family members could come together to do something positive. Both Mary and I were Peace Corps volunteers and we believe strongly that individual actions can change the world for the better. This is our way to make a difference.
My wife Mary has three autoimmune diseases: Relapsing Polychondritis, which attacks her cartilage; Dermatomyositis, which attacks her muscles and skin; and Crohn’s Disease, which attacks her digestive system. These diseases have made life a daily struggle for Mary and millions of others who suffer from one or more of eighty identified autoimmune diseases. Benaroya Research Institute offers hope to people like Mary.
From 2012 to the present, we’ve done something every year to raise money for BRI. I raced in in the Seafair triathlon in 2012, and asked our friends to support me with donations to BRI. In 2013, we formed triathlon teams at the Seafair race to raise money, and Seafair inducted Mary into its Royal Court as the Princess of Perseverance and Positivity for our fund raising efforts. In 2014, Mary was the featured speaker at the Grapes on the Green auction, which raised a record $550,000. We also bought two tables at the auction. In 2015, I served on the auction’s fund raising committee, again bought two tables at the auction, and put together two auction items that were featured in the live segment of the auction. In 2016, we held an event to celebrated BRI, and to watch Seafair from the front lawn of our home above Lake Washington. Our guests had a ringside seat to watch the blue angels thunder over our house and the hydroplanes roar around Lake Washington. This year we held another BRI fund raiser during Seafair (August 4, 2019) and raised another $30,000 for research at BRI.
Join our fight by clicking the button below. In the section marked “in honor of,” type in “Mary Kastner” and contribute to BRI. As a thank you to anyone who contributes $200 or more, I’ll send you a free autographed copy of Race Across America and make you a member of Team Mary.