a little personal... Kreter Makes Strides in Run for Crohn's and Colitis

When Lauren Kreter graduated from Wilton High School in 1999, she thought her running days were done. "I was pretty much burned out," she says of her four-year, three-season career for the Warriors.

Little did she know she would be lured back onto the roads, this time over distances far longer than the 2.5 miles she ran in high school and for a much greater cause than medals or team points.

"In 2008, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and later colitis," says Kreter, who also discovered she had celiac disease, meaning she can't eat any food containing gluten. "My older sister had organized a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in New York City, so I figured I would do something similar out here for Crohn's Colitis Foundation."

In December, Kreter tackled a half-marathon in Las Vegas, getting people to pledge money for her miles. To boost her efforts, she put on a fundraiser at B.J. Ryan's in Norwalk the month before. "All told, we got 40 people to attend and raised $5,000."

Kreter has another half-marathon scheduled for June in Kona, Hawaii, and figured she'd repeat the fundraiser at Ryan's. It's set for Sunday at 3 p.m., and she hopes the second time will be even better than the first. "We have a lot of local businesses who have donated things to be raffled off, and Ryan's has been great, donating food and drinks."

After graduating from Villanova with a degree in communications, Kreter worked in the hedge fund world "but didn't find my calling." She now heads the catering service of the Schoolhouse Restaurant in Wilton. "They do everything farm to fork, so I know what we're serving, if it's not gluten-free, is locally grown and organic."

And she'll continue running and fundraising for the Crohn's Colitis Foundation, which has become her personal cause. "When I ran in Las Vegas I found a tremendous support system I didn't even know I had," she says. "They've been absolutely tremendous."

http://www.thedailynorwalk.com/neighbors/kreter-makes-strides-runs-crohns-colitis