Walk to Remember Set for June 11 at Zoo

Celebrate the life of a loved one by walking in their memory at Walk to Remember on June 11 at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Funds raised benefit Hospice of the Western Reserve patients.

Celebrate Loved Ones While Benefiting Hospice of the Western Reserve

It’s time to gather friends and family and save the date for Sunday, June 11, as Huntington Bank presents Hospice of the Western Reserve’s Walk to Remember 2017 at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Now in its sixth year, Walk to Remember is the nonprofit agency’s largest fundraiser of the year and is open to anyone wishing to honor the memory of a loved one or a caregiver. Thousands of walkers will come together to celebrate life while paying tribute to their loved ones.

Registration will open at 7:30 a.m., with the opening ceremony beginning at 8:45 a.m. The Walk will begin at 9 a.m. (Choose from 1 mile and 3 mile options.) A closing ceremony will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m., featuring food, fun and festivities at the Palava Pavilion. Registration is $12 for children, $25 for adults and $65 for family (includes two adults and three children ages 4-12; children 3 and under are free). It includes all-day admission to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest, t-shirt, live musical entertainment and much more.

Funds raised at Walk to Remember help cover special services provided by Hospice of the Western Reserve that are not reimbursable by Medicare and private insurance. These include pediatric hospice and palliative care, the fulfillment of special wishes and requests from patients through the Moments to Remember program, art and music therapy, grief and trauma support in local schools and much more.

New This Year: Comfort Buddies

For every $100 raised or donated to Walk to Remember this year, one of eight adorable Comfort Buddies will be given to a Hospice of the Western Reserve patient. Comfort Buddies provide reassurance and meaning to a variety of patients, from young children to those with memory impairment. The soft, plush animals improve patient experience by reducing agitation and restlessness and providing an overall sense of wellbeing. Each Comfort Buddy is infused with a calming lavender scent. The adorable stuffed animals are weighted to provide a sense of security and to reduce fall risks when placed on the lap of a patient. Comfort Buddies can also be heated in the microwave to provide additional warmth and coziness. While donors will not receive an actual Comfort Buddy, our clinical caregivers will be personally presenting them to our patients and their families.

More Ways to Help Hospice Patients

Once again this year, walkers and donors will be able to purchase and sell Honor Signs for $250. Honor Signs will be placed along the walk route to commemorate loved ones and can be taken home after the walk by family members. To register for Walk to Remember or make a donation, visit hospicewr/walk. Walk to Remember sponsorship opportunities are also still available at all levels. For more information, contact Bridget Murphy at 216. 383.3715, or bmurphy@hospicewr.org.

Laurie Henrichsen

Laurie Henrichsen, Media/Public Relations Manager, Hospice of the Western Reserve

Read More on Community
Volume 9, Issue 4, Posted 5:26 PM, 04.11.2017