Community connection is the heart of everything we do at Full Circle, especially at our annual luncheon event, Living Your Dash, which takes place every spring. We always hope that guests leave the event inspired and bolstered by acts of kindness, grace, and the ability to make a difference in your community.
However, one 2025 Living Your Dash attendee, Allie Woodruff, took our message to the next level.
While our event’s guest speaker, Carson Clough, was a Paralympic athlete and triathlon silver medalist in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Allie was no stranger to feats of athleticism herself. Prior to the event, Allie had decided to celebrate a milestone birthday by challenging herself to complete a triathlon as well. In doing so, she also wanted to honor the life of her mother, Merry Woodruff, who had passed away in 2024.
So, we were absolutely floored when Allie shared a few months after Living Your Dash that she was one: running a triathlon for the first time in fifteen years, two: doing it in honor of her mother, who was a former counselor, and three: raising funds to benefit Full Circle along the way.
Allie’s mother, Merry, had returned to school later in her life to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. She went on to have a long and successful career helping children and families who often struggled with mental health, abuse, and grief. “For fifteen years, she met with kids and their families, providing support, tools for healing, hugs, and most of all, hope,” Allie says of her mother.
As if running a triathlon wasn’t impressive enough, Allie also rallied her friends and family to sponsor her in the competition to raise funds on behalf of Full Circle. What started with a humble Facebook post and a call for support quickly increased to a total of over $7,000 raised from almost 40 donors.
While Allie certainly ran much more than a “dash” by entering and completing her race, she is also absolutely emblematic of our “living your dash” spirit with her ability to challenge herself, inspire others, and honor her loved ones all in one fell swoop.
Her support of Full Circle through allowing us to share in this part of her story is incredibly meaningful. Because of the generosity of Allie and her friends and family, we will be able to deliver grief support to children, adults, and families similar to those her mother cared for, providing tools for healing, hugs, and hope. We cannot thank Allie, as well as her friends and family, enough for their generosity and dedication to care for our community.
Full Circle Grief Center 