Hike for health, for happiness, for community, and most importantly, hike for a good cause.
“[Hike for Hospice] is a great way to not only raise funds but also awareness of Hospice Huntsville and hospices and palliative care areas in general,” says Melissa Polischuk, fund development and public relations coordinator for Hospice Huntsville.
The annual event is part of a national effort, with hospices across the country raising money for their respective communities.
Polischuk emphasizes how crucial the hike and other fundraising events are for Hospice Huntsville and the fundamental need for community support. Each year, Hospice Huntsville must raise at least 60 per cent of their operating budget, through fundraising or donations, in order for their doors to stay open and for their programs and services to remain free of charge.
“We’re like any other home; on top of everything else, we have bills to pay,” Polischuk says. “Also, in the last couple years, because of the pandemic, we’ve had to equip our staff with all the different protocols for them to remain safe, and our visitors too. So it is certainly an expense which most organizations, including us, did not have two years ago.”
As well as in-patient care at Algonquin Grace, Hospice Huntsville also offers grief support and a visiting program, where volunteers visit individuals who require respite care at their homes. They provide services for Huntsville, Port Sydney, Lake of Bays, and Almaguin Highlands.
Polischuk asserts how important Hike for Hospice is each year, not only as a major fundraising source, but as a means for the community to come together.
“This is our first in-person event since the pandemic began,” she says, “so it’s really important for people to come out as a community, and also for families to come out and celebrate someone’s life. That is so important, especially now.”
Several unique and exciting additions will be taking place at this year’s event. For the first time, local musicians will be performing: Lizzie and Josie Robinson along the route, and Billy Mac and The Sound Chicks at River Mill Park. There will be demonstrations by Muskoka Agility Dogs and Huntsville High School’s robotics club.
The festivities will also include a contest for best-dressed hospice hound, where participants are encouraged to dress their dogs up in a creative purple ensemble.
Participants are encouraged to write a note to a loved one and hang it on a memory bush, which will later be planted at Algonquin Grace Residential Hospice.
“It’s a special time for families to get together and celebrate a loved one’s life,” Polischuk says.
Participants can register on the Hospice Huntsville website as individuals or as a team and start their own personalized fundraising page, as well as collect donations with pledge forms which can be printed off from the website or picked up at Hospice Huntsville.
Hospice Huntsville is also running its annual Purple Boot Campaign throughout the month of April, and the Hospice flag will be raised during a flag raising at Town Hall on April 29 in celebration of National Palliative Care Week.
Hospice Huntsville will be hosting its thirteenth Hike for Hospice on May 1. Hiker check-in will take place at River Mill Park at noon, opening ceremonies at 12:45, and a celebration of life at 1, with hiker send-off occurring shortly after. Hikers can choose either a 1km or 5km route.
Registration for the hike is required by April 21. To register or donate, visit hospicehuntsville.com.
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