Hope After Loss, Inc., a non-profit provider of support services to women and men who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy or infant, will hold its 12th annual Footprints On Our Hearts Walk & 5K on the morning of Sunday, October 23, at Hubbard Park in Meriden. Registrants can choose to participate in either or both the 5K run/3K fitness walk at 10am, or the short reflective walk around the lake at 11:30 following the remembrance ceremony that is open for all to attend. There will also be a Kids Fun Run at 9:30 and vendor tents, food and remembrance activities as well.

Participants will join together (in person and virtually) in remembrance of babies who have gone too soon. Registration and details about the event may be found here: https://www.hopeafterloss.org/general-3

“The Footprints On Our Hearts Walk/5K is the perfect way for our organization to honor National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in October,” said Christina Mailhos, Executive Director of Hope After Loss. “One goal of this event is to raise awareness about how isolating pregnancy and infant loss can be and show that it doesn’t have to be that way. Being with others who have experienced a similar loss can be very healing for bereaved families.”
All funds raised from the walk and 5K will go toward Hope After Loss’s programs: free bereavement support services to women and men who grieve the loss of a pregnancy or infant, financial assistance for burials and cremations for Connecticut parents who have lost a baby, and community outreach and educational programs.
“In the last twelve years, we estimate that 3,500 people have attended either our Footprints on Our Hearts Walk or our 5K to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Kim Nelly, a former Board Chair and current event Chair. “It is profoundly moving to see so many women, men, and children gather to remember together,” said Katie Christenson, Board Chair. “Because of the generosity of many people who made donations in support of our runners and walkers, and the many businesses that have sponsored these events, we have been able to help hundreds of bereaved families over the past 12 years.”
Already signed on as a Diamond Sponsor is Bartlett & Grippe out of Cheshire, CT. Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop in Hamden, CT is a returning Gold Sponsor. Cool-ology® and Andrew Esposito, Realtor, are also returning Silver Sponsors. Hope After Loss expects several other sponsors to join them in the coming weeks. The deadline to be an early sponsor of the event is September 1st.
The event is open to the public and organizers are following the State of CT regulations and CDC guidelines in regards to COVID-19. There are also virtual ways to participate.
Online registration, sponsorship information, and event information may be found at www.hopeafterloss.org under events.
About Hope After Loss: Hope After Loss, a non-profit organization in Connecticut, provides free bereavement support services, including peer-led support groups, to those who grieve the loss of a pregnancy or infant. Hope After Loss, formerly known as the Hygeia Foundation, also provides financial assistance to bereaved parents who cannot afford to bury their babies, and hosts outreach and educational programs.

###

For more information: hopeafterloss.org

Schedule of Events:

8am – Registration Opens

9:30am – Free Kids Fun Run

10:00am – 5K Run/3K Fitness Walk

11:30am – Remembrance Ceremony & Reflective Walk