Kristin M. Callahan Foundation to Hold Annual BBQ

The following was submitted by the Kristin M. Callahan Foundation:

The Kristin M. Callahan Foundation will hold its fourth annual BBQ at on June 23 from noon until 3pm.  All are welcome to attend and enjoy the food, drink, music and games.  This year will also feature caricaturists, and a “bouncy house” for the kids.  It’s a great event for the whole family.  A donation of $30 per person is suggested, but no donation for children is necessary.

The Kristin M. Callahan Foundation was founded in memory of Kristin, who passed away from an undetected heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 1999.  HCM occurs in 1 of every 500 people, and is the leading cause of death among young athletes.

Since its inception, the Foundation has worked to bring awareness to this disease, and to raise money for worthy causes.  Through the success of events like this, they have donated portable defibrillators to the North Reading High School, Little League, and they will be donating one to the Ipswich River Park at the event.  2012 will be their best year yet, as they recently awarded a scholarship to a deserving NRHS senior, and also plan to make a large donation to the HCM Clinic at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.  One of the only clinics of its type in the country, Tufts Medical Center is on the cutting edge of HCM research and will hopefully someday help to eliminate this devastating disease.

Additional information about HCM and about the event can be found on their website or by email to info@kristincallahan.org.