Sophia’s Stroll Success Story Featured by Give Lively

Team Assaf, from Banner Elk, NC, was one of the many teams from across the globe that participated in the inaugural 2024 Sophia’s Stroll. Photo by Brianna Fisher Photography.

Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation’s First Year Event Nets Over $56,000 with Digital Peer-to-Peer and Team Fundraising

DACULA, GA, UNITED STATES, July 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Give Lively, a leading nonprofit fundraising platform, recently featured the inspirational story of the Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation’s inaugural “Sophia’s Stroll.”

Sophia’s Foundation was started in memory of Sophia Ruggieri, who tragically passed away at the age of 23 due to complications from Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). The mission of Sophia’s Foundation is to help children, teens and young adults who are battling T1D. When Sophia’s Foundation decided to use digital fundraising for its initial charitable event, it turned to Give Lively. Give Lively provides a powerful and practical digital fundraising platform free-of-charge to nonprofit organizations, allowing such nonprofits to devote more resources to their essential operations and services.

The Give Lively Member Story found here, “Tapping into Donors’ Competitive Spirit Through Peer-Based Fundraising”, details how the Give Lively platform allowed the Foundation’s directors, officers, friends and family to easily form fundraising “teams” that competed against each to raise the most money in an event called Sophia’s Stroll. In August 2024, Sophia’s Strolls took place all over the world and allowed teams to be formed from England to San Diego and from Florida to New Zealand. Some “Strolls” were as simple as taking a walk through a park or trail. Strolls could cover any distance (participants did not have to run in a marathon!) and some were as simple as walking the dog. Over twelve different Strolls took place, some occurring on boats and even a cruise ship.

This year’s Sophia’s Stroll is scheduled for August 9th, with more teams expected to compete. Once again, Give Lively will be providing the platform by which the teams will seamlessly form and collect donations from members and sponsors. Give Lively also makes it easy to donate directly to the foundation to help kids with Type 1.

Sophia’s father and founder of Sophia’s Foundation, Frank Ruggieri, said, “Give Lively allowed us to form teams and raise money through their amazing software. We would not have been able to have the success we did without them. Their platform and support team were outstanding.”

For more information on how to donate, form a team and help kids battling from Type 1 Diabetes, visit https://www.sophiaruggierifoundation.org/sophia-s-stroll.

ABOUT THE SOPHIA RUGGIERI MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
The Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation Serving Those with Type 1 Diabetes Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, was established to honor Sophia Ruggieri, a Dacula, Georgia resident, loving daughter, sister and friend, who passed away from Type 1 Diabetes. The organization’s inaugural and ongoing fundraising event, Sophia’s Stroll, is a testament to Sophia’s love for hiking the forests and trails of North Carolina, travel and exploration.

Each summer, Sophia’s Foundation sends children to Camp Kudzu, a Georgia-based camp that for 25 years has brightened the summer for children ages 8 to 18 who have Type 1 Diabetes, where Sophia enjoyed volunteering. At Camp Kudzu kids not only have fun, but they also get to learn important steps in dealing with this silent disease. In addition, the Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation awards college scholarships to students with Type 1 Diabetes and helps fund the provision of needed medical supplies and devices.

Frank Ruggieri
Sophia Ruggieri Memorial Foundation
+1 470-389-2931
info|sophiaruggierifoundation.org| |info|sophiaruggierifoundation.org
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