Wurtsboro – The worst thing any parent can experience is the death of a child. And to lose a child suddenly, without warning, is perhaps worst of all. Lynne and Kevin Manto of Wurtsboro, unfortunately, know this pain first hand, as their own infant son, Killian, died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) nearly five years ago. Thus began Lynn's crusade to raise awareness of SIDS, a mysterious phenomenon that kills nearly one in 1000 infants, and is the leading cause of death in children under one year of age.

This past Saturday, Lynn and her team of volunteers hosted the fourth annual "Kilometers for Killian" event, a five-kilometer walk to raise funds for the SIDS Network, the volunteer agency dedicated to the elimination of the mysterious syndrome, as well as education and providing support to parents who are dealing with the aftermath of such a tragedy.

"I don't want another family to suffer as we did," says Manto.

And it is the very suddenness of SIDS that makes it so hard for families to deal with, according to Manto. While all deaths of children are tragic, if a child has been sick, or has been suffering from a disease of some kind, there is at least the possibility of some emotional preparedness on the part of the parents. Indeed, a SIDS-related death is like a bolt out of the blue, with a healthy-seeming infant dying without any type of warning.

"You don't know why," Manto says. "It can happen to anybody, rich or poor."

A large crowd of walkers, 142 according to Manto, participated in Saturday's event, raising approximately $4,700 for the cause. On hand were several town elders, including Councilmen Dr. Robert Justus and Ted Brebbia. Before the walk, volunteers busied themselves with preparations for the luncheon that followed, the whole time enjoying the services of Eric Bressi of E.A.B. Entertainment, an Elvis-impersonating "DJ and crowd motivator" based out of Kiamesha Lake. Bressi did an admirable job of keeping the crowd pumped up for the walk, which began precisely at 2 p.m., with members of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department on hand to escort the walkers across the busy Route 209.

Manto also wanted to acknowledge the local businesses and residents who helped with the event. While the list is too long for this particular article, Manto wanted especially to thank Jackie Auer Rohloff and Monika Roosa, who as volunteers have been a huge help to Manto and her cause.

Thus far, over the past four years, Manto and her team have raised approximately $15,000 for the SIDS Network and they hope to raise more.

"People can still mail in checks from now until the end of November," according to Manto.

Those who wish to donate can send checks payable to the SIDS Network care of Kilometers for Killian, P.O. Box 84, Wurtsboro, NY 12690.

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