It has been a whirlwind of a year, to say the least. While we won’t bore you with the details, we will say that it involved many unexpected surgeries, furloughs, 13 months of quarantining, near-death experiences, a lot of babka (Jamie Geller’s recipe), and DIY Starbuck’s coffee (thanks to Peri’s foresight to order an espresso machine on day one of quarantine).

Nevertheless, we digress, and we have decided to write off 2020 and the first six months of 2021 (don’t ask) and continue to forge ahead and hope for the best. So, here we are, #StepOutofLine, #Take2.

We decided to channel our energy on creating a platform to share experiences that we have all had during the era of COVID-19 and throughout our lives. The question we pose to over 60 unique individuals for our weekly podcast, created and produced by Peri, is “How have you stepped out of line in your life?” What we have learned from these interviews is that we all have a story to tell, and each and every one of us has had to overcome adversity in our lives to move forward and achieve our personal goals and dreams.

Looking back on Peri’s childhood, the one constant in the chaos of hospital stays, surgeries, illnesses was always and will forever be the nonprofit Chai Lifeline. For those who don’t know, Peri is a 21 year-old senior college student at Adelphi University who has a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy and is ventilator dependent and wheelchair bound. Despite her everyday challenges, Peri is determined to never give up. Chai Lifeline has supported Peri’s goals and dreams and for so many others through Camp Simcha, holiday programs, Big Brothers and Big Sisters programs, insurance advocacy, and Wish at the Wall. For a child and their family fighting cancer or living with a serve medical illness like Peri, Chai Lifeline gives them the strength, support, and love that is very much needed, and reminds them that they are not alone on this journey.

Chai Lifeline has enabled Peri to dream big and to know that her goals are always within reach, while instilling the belief that anything is possible. That is why we have raced for the past ten years in the Miami Marathon and raised over $700,000 for the children of Chai Lifeline, and that is precisely why, once again, we are asking for your help in our quest to raise as much money as we are able for Chai Lifeline.

Thank you in advance for being a big part of Team Peri/Team Lifeline in our “Step Out of Line, Take 2” year, where we will take on the February 6, 2022, Miami Marathon by a storm. Watch out sunny Miami, because Team Peri is ready to Step Out of Line once again!