March’s uneven weather means spring is almost here, and that also means the annual Hike for Hospice is also just around the corner.
The ninth iteration of the Hike for the Chatham-Kent Hospice is slated for May 4 at Mud Creek Trail in Chatham.
Jodi Maroney, executive director of the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation, said the foundation set a target of $150,000 this year, despite pulling in $167,500 in 2024.
“We had some really amazing support last year. We were thrilled,” she said. “But you just don’t know if you’re going to get that same level of involvement.”
Ginny Hawken, special events committee chair for the foundation, said the Hike is a way for people to share and respect memories of lost loved ones.
“We invite people of all abilities to sign-up, collect pledges and come together for some family time,” Hawken said in a media release.
Maroney also encourages anyone who has not attended the Hike before to stop by.
“Come out and see what it is all about and learn more about the hospice,” she said. “There’s a lot of meaning to the event. It’s a wonderful way for people to come out and remember and honour their loved one. It’s also a really practical way for others to think about how they can help families; to see the impact.”
While the hike has many families who have had loved ones go through the hospice as part of their end-of-life care take part, Maroney said businesses get involved as well.
“We really encourage businesses to take part. It’s a great way to do community engagement and activities as a team,” she said.
While the in-person event takes place May 4, Maroney said participants are welcome to hike on their own. The trail will be set up from April 28 to May 3 for people to do just that.
But Maroney encourages people to come out the day of the event.
“It’s so nice to have so many people all together for the same cause,” she said. “We’ve worked very hard to make it family friendly. There’s lots of entertainment and activities pre-hike.
Those activities begin at noon, with the run slated to start at 2 p.m.
To register for the Hike, visit hikeforhospiceck.com. Maroney said if people prefer to fill out paper forms rather than online ones, the foundation can accommodate that as well.
