The Heart Behind the Name

KiKi was my sister.

Born on April 25, 1999, Kiara Riess came into this world with cerebral palsy. She was non-verbal and quadriplegic. She faced medical challenges that would have broken most people. But KiKi was not most people.

She was joy. She was love. She was connection.

Her dazzling blue eyes and radiant smile could light up an entire room. In Illinois, where she grew up, she was known and loved by so many people. She had an extraordinary gift for bringing others together simply by being herself.

KiKi participated in adaptive recreational programs through the Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA), including Buddy Baseball, swim lessons, and adapted camps. She traveled across the country with our family in an RV, experiencing more of the world than many people ever get to see. Those experiences gave her joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging. They gave our family hope and strength during some of our hardest seasons.

On December 25, 2011, we lost her. She was 12 years old. I was 14.

Her loss changed my life and my family forever.

My mother, Rita Angelini, later wrote a book about KiKi's life titledAn Unexpected Normal: Raising a Child with Special Needs.It captures just how profoundly KiKi touched everyone who knew her. She also created Leap Into Literacy, a free adaptive book project to help other children like my sister enjoy the power of reading. Her tagline says it best: "Every child deserves the chance to turn a page."

Today, KiKi represents happiness, love, inclusion, and possibility. Her spirit lives on in every program I develop, every curriculum I adapt, and every smile I help create. KiKi's Recreation exists to honor her legacy and to give others the same sense of joy, dignity, and belonging that adaptive recreation gave to her.

She is the light that guides our journey in everything we do.