On Sunday, April 7, colorful tennis shoes, strollers and butterflies sprang into action at the Team Taylor Family Run along the canal of Arcadia. To honor their daughter Taylor, who passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in April of 2010, Katie and Mark Cosmas developed an annual run to bring together their local community.

Katie and Mark described how the community “wrapped their arms around them” with compassion and encouragement after their daughter Taylor passed away.

Now, 60 sponsors, 1,200 participants, and $220,000 later, Team Taylor has become a prominent event for community engagement and awareness. Katie was excited to announce that they had surpassed their projected goal of $200,000 with the assistance of 35 to 40 dedicated volunteers who helped make the race a reality.

As spring makes its way into Arizona, the weather becomes warmer and you may notice a butterfly or two fluttering around in the desert landscape. These creatures, representing hope and growth, serve as the guiding symbol for Katie and Mark Cosmas’ 3 Butterflies SIDS Foundation. The foundation donates money to the Boston Children’s Hospital to support the research of Dr. Hannah Kinney and her encouraging work studying SIDS.

Katie and Mark Cosmas and their team take great care in honoring the lives that have been lost to SIDS. This spring celebration of life gives families across the valley the opportunity to find strength in each other’s stories.