Reilly's Run '09, a 5K Run and Walk, will take place Saturday, August 29th, at Taltree Arboretum & Gardens, 450 W 100 N in Valparaiso. The event is sponsored by the Reilly C. Bush Memorial Foundation. Proceeds from participants who indicate on their registration form that they are VNA Children's Bereavement Center supporters will assist in the development of the Visiting Nurse Association's Children's Bereavement Center.
In early fall, the Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County will move to 2401 Valley Drive in Valparaiso, just around the corner from the current office at 501 Marquette Street. Plans are in the works for the existing office building to be used to expand the hospice bereavement program to include bereavement support for the community, as well as to provide space for VNA volunteer activities.
Included in the plan is space specially designed and dedicated as a children's bereavement center to provide a safe and supportive environment for children to grieve. The children's bereavement center will include age appropriate activities and support groups.
Registration for the 5K run or walk by August 7th is $20 and includes a t-shirt. Registration is also available on the day of the event for $20 but does not include a t-shirt. Children up to age 18 may register for either the run or walk for $15, including a t-shirt. The 5K run will be electronically timed with awards given to the top overall female and male runners, as well as the top three runners in each age division. The walk is non-competitive and family friendly. The trail accommodates strollers as well as wheelchairs and is a wonderful opportunity for families to explore Taltree and support the VNA's children's bereavement program.
Registration begins at 7:00 am at Taltree Arboretum & Gardens. The 5K Run kicks off at 8:00 am and the walk begins 5 minutes later at 8:05 am.
The VNA is excited about its first collaboration with the Reilly C. Bush Memorial Foundation, established in 2007 with a mission to create a network of children helping children. Since its inception, the Foundation has impacted more than 5,000 children in Northwest Indiana and the south Chicago area through Reilly's Youth Enrichment Scholarships and Reilly's Philanthropy Boot Camp programs.
"The Reilly Foundation is proud to partner with Visiting Nurse Association and help with the development of a children's bereavement center. The center will become an important community resource as more parents and children face the loss of a loved one. As a mother who lost a young child, I can attest to the fact there is a need in our community. From start to finish, I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful initiative," says Michelle Bush, Executive Director of the Reilly C. Bush Memorial Foundation..
For a registration form or for more information about Reilly's Run '09 and the Reilly C. Bush Memorial Foundation please visit the Foundation's website at www.reillycbushfoundation.org or call (219) 746-3768. For more information about the VNA and plans for the children's bereavement program, contact the VNA at (219) 462-5195.