Erica Baker is a gift from God. Even though she has a mitochondrial disease , nothing can erase her contagious smile. Mitochondrial disease is an incurable condition requiring a great deal of medical attention, much of which is not covered by insurance. Every day she struggles harder than most to speak, to learn, and yes, even to eat. She is facing increasing costs not covered by insurance. Erica’s sister is a Challenge team leader and her mom is a club leader. So the Challenge girls in the different clubs around Atlanta, pulled together to help organize this even to benefit Erica. Over 250 participants showed up for the fun run on a dreary, overcast and windy day. The spirit wasn’t damp, however, as the excited crowd of moms, dads, and kids of all ages gathered to share Erica’s burden and lighten her load. 
Several Challenge teams took a lead in coordinating the event that showcased not only the run, but face painting and a bake sale as well to support Erica’s cause. One teenage boy ran the entire 5K race on crutches. The goal was to try and raise $12,000 that Erica needs for a new bed. To date, the event has raised over $17,000. These are the words of Kim Baker (Erica’s mother) after the conclusion of the event hosted by Challenge on September 28th, 2012 : “We can’t believe the turn out. It was incredible! Erica had the best time!! It was so heart warming to see her with such joy on her face….Thank you seems like such little words that don’t begin to describe how we feel…We are just so moved and touched. It was so awesome because of all the wonderful families and of course our awesome Challenge girls. The Challenge girls worked so hard and shared such love and sacrifice for us.”
