The Humboldt and District Hospital Foundation welcomed walkers of all ages to the Humboldt Golf Club on Sept. 24 for their 8th Have a Heart Walk or Run.
This year’s walk saw 50 walkers participate in both an 8.8 km 18 hole walk, and a 4.4 km nine hole walk around the front nine of the HGC.
The golf course, is also a perfect place to host the walk, notes foundation Executive Director Lorrie Bunko, due to the scenery and the safety it provides.
“It’s beautiful out here. The colours are gorgeous and it’s safe, there’s no traffic. We have no golfers out on the front nine so we don’t have to worry about balls flying. It’s just a very appropriate place to have this event.”
Typically, the walk features a majority of walkers participating in the one lap nine hole walk, but Bunko noted this year, they saw a large increase in the number of two lap, 18 walkers, which was great to see.
“It’s quite impressive. Usually more people do the nine hole and this year the majority of people did the 18 hole walk. There’s families here and there’s groups of friends here and it’s just very heart warming to know this.”
The walk raised $5,672 for the foundation, which Executive Director Lorrie Bunko says will be used to help pay for some new cardiac equipment, including their fetal heart monitor and their ultrasound machine, which performs echocardiograms.
“(They’re) two huge expenses so these funds today will put an impact into making that purchase a reality.”
This year’s walk was themed In Memory of a Loved One, which included having signs on the course for some of the participants’ loved ones.
“It was well received… the signage that Graphic Ad made is just beautiful, very impressed with how this event unfolded this year,” noted Bunko.
In addition to Have a Heart being well received by the walkers, Bunko notes a number of local businesses helped with sponsorships for the event.
“It means a lot to us. We need all the help we can.”
Bunko notes that the event was so well received she is considering keeping it as a memory event every year.
