Connor’s House Gears Up For Their First 5K [AUDIO]

Connor's House is continuing their great work across the Garden State with a slew of 2013 initiatives, including their first-ever 5K fundraiser.

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The organization was started in 2009, following the premature death of Connor Scott Millard, who died in 2007 at the tender age of 8-years-old. His parents launched Connor's House to honor his memory, and give back to families suffering through their similar fate.

The focus of the charity is to provide support for families of children with life-shortening conditions, who provide round the clock home care.

"These families experience incredible stresses," Executive Director Nathan Rudy explained. "They don't get any breaks because they're constantly providing care for their kids, as well as living their lives, having jobs."

Connor's House helps more than 65 families across the state and Eastern United States with services ranging from peer-to-peer counseling, advocacy, sibling events, presents and letters for the ill children, and professional referrals.

"Our effort is to take some of the burden off of them, and to help them to have better lives with their children and for themselves."

Through their constant outreach and growing number of referrals, they hope to increase the amount of families served to 150 by 2015.

The group will host the Connor's House 5K on Sunday, April 21st, at Ginty Field in Morristown.

"It is our inaugural 5K. We've not done one of these before, so we are looking for lots of runners and lots of volunteers," Rudy said.

Another long-term goal is to build their very own Connor's House facility that would serve these children, where they could receive the same care they get at home without being at a hospital. Legislation currently working its way through Trenton would address this need.

"It would require the state to draft regulations, allowing organizations to build children's respite homes."

They've begun a capital campaign to open the facility within 5 years.

"The goal of Connor's House is to add life to the days of these children when we can't add days to their lives."

Learn more about the organization and their upcoming 5K by visiting them online and on Facebook.

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