For 40 years the North Okanagan Hospice Society (NOHS) has been creating comforting care in the end-of-life stages of individuals and their families.
The palliative care organization also annually looks to the community to help fund the vital work of providing compassionate care.
Hike for Hospice is returning to a familiar time of year and a brand-new venue. The event will be held May 11, at the end of National Palliative Care Week in Canada, at the Department of National Defense grounds.
The new venue is in addition to several new features marking the hospice society’s four decade’s of service.
“We wanted to make the event as inclusive as possible and have a great community celebration marking the 40th anniversary of hospice,” said NOHS executive director Lisa Matthews.
The Vernon Lions Club will be serving up a pancake and sausage breakfast starting at 9 a.m., along with beverages from Ratio Coffee. There will be food trucks on site for hikers looking to fuel up after their walk, run or roll.
There will be children’s activities and the event is also pet friendly.
For those who love a challenge, there are prizes to be won! Engage in the corporate challenge, show off your creativity with the best-dressed competition for humans and pets, or aim for the title of the individual who raised the most funds.
The main event - the hike - kicks off at 11 a.m. This year’s hike route is wheelchair friendly, so bring those friends and relatives that you think might want to get out of the house in their favourite ’80s outfit, in recognition of the 40th anniversary.
Registration begins at 9 a.m., but eager participants can also pre-register on the NOHS website nohs.ca, streamlining the process and ensuring a smooth start to the day.
The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) created the Hike for Hospice Palliative Care event over 20 years ago to build a national event to raise funds and awareness for local hospice palliative care organizations.
All proceeds raised during the event will stay within NOHS.
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