Inaugural 'To the Moon and Back' Walk Will Honor Annie LeGere

Elmhurst, IL - While Annie LeGere's mother works to pass a bill that would allow public safety personnel to carry epi pens, the community is invited to help raise allergy awareness and to honor Annie's memory through the Inaugural Annie LeGere "To the Moon and Back" Walk.

Annie, 13 of Elmhurst, died Aug. 26, 2015, as a result of anaphylactic shock caused by an allergic reaction.

The 4K "To the Moon and Back" Walk will take place at 10 a.m. April 23 at Sandburg Middle School, 345 E St Charles Road in Elmhurst. Registration is open online and by mail, and day-of registration will take place from 8 to 9:45 a.m.

The Annie LeGere Foundation was created to support allergy awareness and research, to educate parents and children on the symptoms of allergic reaction and what to do when symptoms appear. The foundation also is also working to require first responders and schools to have epi pens and to train staffs in anaphylaxis treatment.

The foundation uses the phrase, "to the moon and back" because this is how Annie would respond when someone told her they loved her.

Sen. Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) has filed legislation to allow trained police officers to administer epinephrine through an auto-injector, or epi pen, in an emergency. Senate Bill 2878 was approved by a 9-0 vote of the Senate Public Health Committee, and it will move to the full Senate for consideration.

Shelly LeGere, Annie's mother, went to Springfield on April 5 to testify before the Senate Public Health Committee on behalf of Senate Bill 2878.

“The police officer had arrived before I did, and it seemed like about five to eight minutes before the ambulance then arrived," LeGere told committee members. "My daughter wasn’t given epinephrine until after she was in respiratory distress. She was brought to a hospital and was on a ventilator for nine days and had epinephrine been available at the time that she was unable to breathe, the circumstances may be different. So on behalf of my little girl, Annie, I would never want anyone else to have to go through this kind of tragedy. It could have made all the difference in the world and instead because we didn't have it, she's no longer here with me.”

The foundation reports a successful walk sign-up and T-shirt pick-up event April 17.

Inquiries about the walk can be directed to ALFShelly@amazingannie.org.