Largest Hospice Team Ever Participates in Run to Remember® to Support Hospice Care

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Oct 20, 2010, 09:00 ET

National Hospice Foundation's Athletic Fundraising Program Marks Growth

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 80 participants running or walking in support of the Hospice of Washington County hit the roads of Maryland in the Hagerstown 5K last Saturday, October 16. This was the largest team yet assembled for the National Hospice Foundation's Run to Remember® athletic fundraising program.

In recent months, teams of runners and walkers have laced up their athletic shoes in support of Hosparus in Louisville, Kentucky, Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care in Chicago, Illinois, and The Center for Hospice in South Bend, Indiana.

Since January of this year, 154 Run to Remember participants have raised more than $135,000 to support hospice programs at the local and national level.

"I just knew that the community would respond well to this event. They are so supportive of HWC and the services that we provide to the community," said Cheryl Brown, director of development for the Hospice of Washington County. "I have been so pleased with the number of people who wanted to run or walk in memory of a loved one. And I'm very grateful to the local companies who sponsored us."

HWC received a day-long session of on-site technical assistance from National Hospice Foundation staff members this spring. Sarah Meltzer, associate director of development, who helped lead that training and also attended the race said, "We are so proud of the Hospice of Washington County. Their effort to promote this race in Hagerstown and surrounding communities was just tremendous. And it paid off! We look forward to working with Cheryl and her team again in 2011."

Run to Remember is the athletic fundraising program of the National Hospice Foundation. Through it, runners and walkers train for races of varying lengths, honor their loved one's memories, and raise money for hospice. The program benefits local hospices across the country, as well as NHF's national work to advance hospice care at the national level.

To learn more, visit www.runtoremember.org. To learn more about NHF and see how you can support this important work, visit www.nationalhospicefoundation.org and click on "Get Involved."

Note: Run to Remember's presence at the 5K received coverage in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. See the story and video online, http://tinyurl.com/27fk643.