|
Students from River Forest High School in Lake Station
receive the team award
for gathering the most sponsors at the 2007 VNA Stroll
for Hospice.
2007 Stroll for Hospice goes worldwide -
raising nearly $25,000 to support Hospice
More than 100 walkers of all ages strolled through the streets near the
Visiting Nurse Association and Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton VNA Hospice
Center in Valparaiso on April 22nd in support of the 6th Annual
VNA ‘Stroll for Hospice’. Adding to the enjoyment of a beautiful spring day,
walkers were able to take advantage of the new pathway on Vale Park Road for
the first time since the event began in 2002.
This year, Stroll for Hospice took on an international flair as teacher
Chris Gaffner from River Forest High School in Lake Station led a large team
of students from around the world. Students from Ghana, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Germany,
Turkey and Azerbaijan not only learned about the concept of hospice, but got
an education in our uniquely American, grassroots approach to fundraising
and community awareness. Ms. Gaffner said her students are anxious to get
home and share what they have learned here, to raise awareness and meet
needs in their own communities.
Event sponsors included the Harold and Margaret "Sis" Heinold Foundation,
the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, Porter, Angelcrest, Centier
Bank, First National Bank of Valparaiso, North Coast Distributing, Focus
Enterprises, Firstcare, McGill/Emerson Power Transmission, GE Marshall Inc.,
Valparaiso American Legion Auxiliary, Tudor Floors, Arbor View Animal
Hospital and Design Organization.
Raffle prizes and supplies were provided by Family Express, Town &
Country, Chicago Street Theater, Fast Coffee/Naturel Water, David's Mens
Clothier, Tudor Services, Brandy's Lock & Key, Wiseway, Costas Soft Touch,
Bill and Carol Koss, Blondie’s, Bon Femme Cafe, Deb Killion, Inn at
Aberdeen, Lynda Krueger, Memorial Opera House, Panera Bread, Philips Ace
Hardware, Bill Spicer, Deb Springer, Rachel Rosati, Arlene Gross, Patty
Rooney and Mary Ann Konopacki.
Music for the event was provided by Orison, a talented group of musicians
from St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Valparaiso.
Individuals receiving awards were Bill Koss, who raised the highest
dollar amount in sponsorships and Martha Arroyo, who had the greatest number
of sponsors.
Team awards were split between a veteran team and a new team. Longtime
hospice supporters Oestreich's Angels received the team award for raising
the highest dollar amount in sponsorships, while newcomer River Forest High
School team received the award for the greatest number of sponsors.
Nearly $25,000 was raised through corporate sponsorships and individual
and team sponsorships.
Since 1983, the Visiting Nurse Association Hospice program has helped
terminally ill patients and their families with their physical, emotional,
social, and spiritual needs and enabled them to prepare for death with peace
and dignity. "The Stroll for Hospice is a wonderful way to raise funds to
help us provide hospice care and to help the community learn more about the
benefits of hospice," said Patty Rooney, VNA nurse and chairman of the
event.
The mission of hospice has always been to help people die with dignity,
at home, with their loved ones by their side. But hospice goes even further.
It not only comforts the patient, but reaches out to the family as well,
helping loved ones through the experience of loss and grief. The VNA
provides hospice care wherever the patient calls home, whether it is the
patient's home, the home of a loved one, assisted living facility, extended
care facility or at the Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton VNA Hospice Center.
Memories of the
2006 Stroll for Hospice
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Stroll for Hospice raises $16,000
More than 120 walkers strolled the streets
around the Visiting Nurse Association and Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton VNA
Hospice Center in Valparaiso on Sunday in support of the VNA Hospice
program. Nearly $16,000 was raised through corporate sponsorships and
individual and team sponsorships.
Corporate sponsors included Nipsco, Margaret
Heinold, Porter, Angelcrest, Chester Inc., Centier Bank, GE Marshall Inc.,
Burns Funeral Home, BPOE Hobart Elks, Valparaiso American Legion Auxiliary
and Design Organization. Raffle prizes and supplies were provided by Family
Express, Town & Country, Chicago Street Theater, Fast Coffee/Naturel Water,
Brandy's Lock & Key, Wiseway, Costas Oil, White Lodging Services, Culinary
Connection, Sharon Dumay, Carol Koss and Rachael Collins.
Individuals receiving awards were Bill Koss,
highest dollar amount in sponsorships and Terri Jean Kuss, greatest number
of sponsors. The Marching O’s/Oestreich’s Angels received the team award for
collecting the highest dollar amount in sponsorships and the team from
Angelcrest received the award for the largest number of sponsors.
Grace Higbie, a first grader from Kouts raised
$349 to support hospice selling her home-grown pumpkins during the event.
Says Grace, "It just came to me as a way to help people. I hear my dad
talking about hospice. I have been to the Hospice Center to see a friend and
thought this would be a good way to help." Grace and her grandfather,
Wendell Werner planted 35 pumpkin seeds last spring, and spent the summer
cultivating them to be harvested especially for the Stroll. (Grace's father,
Kouts businessman Bill Higbie, is a member of the VNA Hospice Advisory
Committee.)
Since 1983, the Visiting Nurse Association
Hospice program has helped terminally ill patients and their families with
their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and enabled them to
prepare for death with peace and dignity. “The Stroll for Hospice is a
wonderful way to raise funds to help us provide hospice care and to help the
community learn more about the benefits of hospice,” said Patty Rooney, VNA
nurse and chairman of the event.
The mission of hospice has always been to help
people die with dignity, at home, with their loved ones by their side. But
hospice goes even further. It not only comforts the patient, but the family,
as well, helping loved ones through the very difficult stages of grieving
afterward. The VNA provides hospice care wherever the patient calls home,
whether it is the patient’s home, the home of a loved one, assisted living
facility, extended care facility or at the Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton VNA
Hospice Center.
|
The
Visiting Nurse Association's seventh annual Stroll for Hospice
will kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 27th. The 2-mile
Stroll will begin and end at the VNA administration building at
501 Marquette St. in Valparaiso. Advance registration is
available, or you can register on the day of the event beginning
at 12:00 noon. Registration is $10; there is no fee for
participants under the age of 18. Teams of 6 or more may register
for a team fee of $50. "Stroll for Hospice" T-shirts are available
for an additional $10. 
