The battle against Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis, began for Joel Levine and his wife Irene in 2005, when their daughter Rebecca, now 25, was diagnosed.
A founding partner with the West Palm Beach public accounting firm of Caler, Donten, Levine, Cohen, Porter & Veil P.A., Levine discovered that his child had joined the more than 1.4 million Americans coping with the debilitating digestive disease.
Choosing to be tireless activists instead of helpless spectators, the Levine family of Wellington, and the accounting firm, will be at the front of the crowd at the annual Take Steps Walk, benefiting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. To date, they have raised more than $175,000 for the only organization solely dedicated to funding research to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The local event will begin at 3 p.m. on Nov. 8 in CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach.
The Levines’ involvement in finding a cure began almost as soon as Rebecca was diagnosed. Rebecca participated in an internship with the CCFA in New York and her family flew up to support her by participating in the NYC Take Steps Walk in June 2010.
“We were moved by the support and compassion behind those involved and knew we wanted to get involved with a local chapter,” Joel said.
In December 2012, the Levines joined CCFA’s Team Challenge Program and completed the Las Vegas half marathon. They will again run in the Las Vegas half marathon this month. “Throughout the training period, we have spent a great deal of time with individuals and their loved ones who are living with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and inflammatory bowel disease,” Joel said. “We are learning more and are taking that knowledge with us as we continue our mission to find a cure.”
For more info., call the CCFA at (561) 218-2929 or visit www.ccfa.org.
