STILL TIME TO SIGN UP TO HIKE FOR HOSPICE ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP TO HIKE FOR HOSPICE ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

PASCO COUNTY (Oct. 28, 2013) - Get your tennis shoes on for a good cause! There is still time to sign up for Gulfside Regional Hospice’s Hike for Hospice scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Rasmussen College, located at 18600 Fernview St. (on State Road 54 between Suncoast Parkway and US 41) in Land O' Lakes.

                Avoid lines the day of the event and sign up online at www.firstgiving.com/hikeforhospice/2013 or call 800-561-4883 to register for the event. Registration fees are $25 for adults, $15 for students (ages 11 – college) and $10 for children 10 and under. All hikers receive a t-shirt, breakfast and beverages with their registration.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Mike Alstott will be on hand before the Hike for Hospice to sign autographs and pose for pictures, and this year there is an expanded kid’s area with face painting, bounce house, Kids Dash and more. Since the Hike for Hospice takes place over Veteran’s Day weekend, special recognition  is planned for our veterans including having a representative from the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs available to answer questions about veterans’ claims as well as having a Thank You postcard table for all participants to thank veterans for their service.  

The seventh annual Hike for Hospice, presented by Bouchard Insurance, includes both a 5K Run and 5K Walk. Registration and check-in begins at 7 a.m. The 5K Run begins promptly at 8 a.m., and the traditional 5K Walk commences at 9 a.m. After the run and walk conclude, both the top fundraisers and the fastest runners receive prizes.

                “Hike for Hospice is designed to celebrate and honor the lives of friends and family members,” said Linda Ward, president and CEO of Gulfside Regional Hospice. “I run in memory of my father, who passed away in Gulfside’s care. The Hike is for people just like you and me – who want to honor the memory of a loved one and make every day count for those facing a serious illness.”

                All proceeds from the Hike for Hospice are designated for patients and their families facing life-limiting illnesses in Pasco County, as well as support programs at Gulfside’s Hospice Houses and Bereavement Centers. The Hike for Hospice has raised more than $250,000 for Gulfside Regional Hospice since it began in 2007.

Various levels of sponsorship are available for the Hike for Hospice. For more information about sponsoring the event, call 1-800-561-4883 or e-mail hikeforhospice@grhospice.org. The Presenting Sponsor for the Hike for Hospice is Bouchard Insurance. Additional sponsors include:

• Medal of Honor Sponsor - Zymphony
• Guardian Angel Sponsor- AC Healthcare and BB&T
• Stars and Stripes Sponsors – Kiwanis Club of Greater West Pasco, LaserRite Business Solutions, MedFleet and O2 Solutions
• American Eagle Sponsor – The Breakfast Nook and Rasmussen College
• Purple Patriot Sponsors – Cornerstone Financial Planners, Eternal Cremation Services, Hook Law Group, The Obenreder Family, OptiLife Chiropractic and Synvous Bank

                Gulfside Regional Hospice, established as a nonprofit corporation in Pasco County in 1988 and initially licensed in 1989, serves more than 375 patients daily. GRH employs over 250 professionals and has more than 550 volunteers, and is the only hospice that serves Pasco County exclusively. For more information about Gulfside Regional Hospice, call 800-561-4883 or visit www.GRHospice.org.

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