News and Events

NOTE:  This post is an email from Rick D’Amico (Amanda’s cousin).

In just over a week I will be running the New York City Marathon and I am raising money for a cause that is very close to my heart.   We will also be hosting a little party after the marathon for friends who make a donation and are in the City (see details and a link to donate below)   

In August 2017, my 25 year old cousin, Amanda Laura, suddenly got very sick with a virus that attacked her brain and she tragically passed away.  Our family was robbed of one of our favorite people and the world was robbed of the impact she was sure to have. 

Amanda was one of the more remarkable young people I have ever known. After graduating with honors from the University of Pennsylvania she dedicated her entire professional career to teaching underprivileged high school students in Chicago and Madrid.  If you want to know who she was to others, read the attached post from one of her students or check out the foundation website (link below).  Dozens of similar testimonies and letters were sent to our family after her passing from students and colleagues all over the world.   Before she got sick she had just finished a Fulbright program in Spain and was set to begin law school at the University of Chicago.  She was going to study education reform to try and fix the issues and injustices that she experienced firsthand as a teacher in underprivileged communities.  That’s who she was as a young professional and a citizen of this world.  

To our family she was the caring, smart, witty and hilarious girl who cut her backpacking trip across Europe short by three weeks to make it home for her little sister’s sweet sixteen party. She loved her family and friends and was always there for them.

Amanda’s death left a void in our family that can never be filled.  However we can continue to pursue her cause.   The family, led by Amanda’s little sister Gianna Laura, has set up the Amanda Rose Laura Foundation, whose mission is to support teenagers growing up in poverty and providing them with an enriched educational experience.  It champions the values Amanda so humbly brought to her students every day.

As all of you know, I am not much of a runner and marathons are certainly not “my thing.”  However, I decided to take this on because I wanted to do something deeply personal and challenging, but was also much bigger than myself.   Amanda’s passing was as personal as it gets, but the cause of the foundation transcends this loss and supports the selfless dedication and ripple effect her life had on fixing a much bigger issue.

On November 4^th, I’ll be running with so many others running for causes, issues, and people who were bigger than life itself. Amanda was one of those people and it would mean so much to me if you could come out to support her cause and celebrate her life.

Special thanks to Marc Spilker and the New 42^nd Street for generously sponsoring my spot in the Marathon. 

About Amanda, Donation and Celebration Details

Donate: GoFundMe Page for Amanda Laura

https://www.gofundme.com/rick-runs

 Learn about Amanda:

https://arlaurafoundation.org/home-page/amandas-journey/

Celebrate: The Post Marathon Celebration Party

The Larstrand 

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM 

227 West 77^th Street, The Lounge (will have the option for The Roof, weather pending)

*Tell the doorman you are attending the Amanda Laura Fundraiser Marathon Party

**All children/ toddlers/ infants are welcome, there is a great playroom for them as well.

Please RSVP to kellichristine4@gmail.com

Thanks to all who came out and to our many Gold, Sliver & Bronze sponsors! We look forward to sharing updates on our projects in the coming months.

Promise Fulfilled 2018 Intro

Promise Fulfilled 2018 Jahmier James

Promise Fulfilled 2018 Katy Brodhead

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Pictures from Promise Fulfilled 2018

Please join us at the Promise Fulfilled cocktail reception on Thursday, June 14, 2018 at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge.

Tickets are $125 each and include drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dancing, with 100% of all proceeds going to the Amanda Rose Laura Foundation to help us support underprivileged students. 

See invite below for details and click here to register.

On April 12, 2018, Mount Saint  Mary Academy dedicated its Model UN classroom in memory of our Amanda. Amanda’s passion for Model UN began at the Mount and grew through her college years, where she worked on the development of international Model UN programs for high school students. After college, in her TFA and Fulbright positions, she brought Model UN to her students in Chicago and Madrid.

To go along with this honor and dedication by Mount St. Mary’s, the Foundation and the Laura family have established the Amanda Rose Laura Model UN Scholarship to pay for two under-privileged students to attend the annual Model UN competition in Washington D.C. each year.

We are proud to announce that Alexandra Parolie will be running the NJ Marathon this year in honor of Amanda.

Your donations will help us to further Amanda’s dream to provide enriched educational experiences for high school students in under-served communities. Every dollar makes a huge difference in filling the gap in educational support for under privileged-students  and furthers the mission of the Foundation to empower teens with tools to better prepare for college, find employment and achieve their personal and professional goals. With your help we will provide these children with the tools they need to better prepare for college and provide the support essential for their success once they are there.

To show your support with Alexandra, use this gofundme link: https://www.gofundme.com/running-for-my-best-friend

Thank you for your support!

The first annual “Spin into the New Year with the Amanda Rose Laura Foundation” fundraiser was a great success. Two Spin classes were offered and both sold out. Alexa DeRose donated her time to lead the classes. Alexa is an amazing spin instructor and a good time was had by all (see pictures below). O’Bagel generously donated an assortment of delicious bagels and spreads which fueled the “spinners” as well as the “spectators”. We are honored and humbled by the huge turnout and the generosity of all who attended. We are so very thankful to Prime Cycle in Hoboken for sponsoring the event. All the proceeds earned from this event were donated to the Amanda Rose Laura Foundation and we will be putting it to great use in the very near future. Stay tuned.

The Amanda Rose Laura Foundation is having its first fundraising event. Come “Spin into the New Year” with us and help us raise the funds to further Amanda’s dream of providing enriched educational opportunities for high school kids growing up in poverty. With your help we will provide these children with the tools they need to better prepare for college and provide the support essential for their success once they are there.

To book your bike, please email alexa@primecycle.com. Click Poster Below for More Info!

Support those growing up in poverty so that they may have enriched educational experiences and opportunities. The Amanda Rose Laura Foundation is now accepting donations.