North Bay, ON – The 20th annual Our Hospital Walk/Run brought the community together on Sunday morning, with more than 645 participants and volunteers helping to raise $205,743 in support of local healthcare. Funds raised through this year’s event will help provide state-of-the-art medical equipment and support exceptional patient care at North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC).

This year’s opening ceremonies featured a testimonial from Daphne Lovegrove, who has participated in 19 of the event’s 20 years and recently experienced firsthand the life-saving care provided at NBRHC. Lovegrove spent 30 years working as a Registered Practical Nurse, caring for patients and supporting families through some of life’s most challenging moments. Last year, she found herself on the receiving end of that care after suffering a serious heart attack.

“For most of my life, I was the person helping to care for others. Last year, I found myself on the other side of that experience when I suffered a serious heart attack. Suddenly, I was the patient relying on life-saving care at our hospital,” said Lovegrove. “I was feeling more stressed than usual and when I went to bed, I just couldn’t settle. I felt anxious and restless. At first, I wondered if I might be having a panic attack, but something told me to call 9-1-1.”

Emergency Medical Services arrived and confirmed she was having a heart attack. She was transported to NBRHC, where she received urgent, life-saving treatment.

“Running has always been an important part of my life. It keeps me active, gives me goals to work toward and, especially after my heart attack, reminds me how fortunate I am to keep moving forward,” said Lovegrove. “I also learned that my years of running and staying active likely played an important role in my recovery. One of the moments that meant the most to me was returning to Our Hospital Walk/Run last year.”

This year’s event marked an important milestone for Our Hospital Walk/Run, which has united thousands of participants, volunteers, donors, and sponsors in support of local healthcare over the past two decades.

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Our Hospital Walk/Run, we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed to its success over the years,” said Tammy Morison, Foundation President and CEO. “For 20 years, this event has demonstrated the power of community support and its impact on local healthcare. Every participant, volunteer, donor and sponsor has played a role in helping ensure patients and families in our region have access to exceptional care close to home. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and the lasting difference it continues to make.”

Since the inception of Our Hospital Walk/Run in 2006, our community has raised more than $2.1M in support of our community’s healthcare needs. Race results and more information are available at www.ourhospitalwalkrun.ca.

Daphne Lovegrove, guest speaker;

Daphne Lovegrove at the finish line;

Wellness Warriors Team;

MTD Buddies Team

Contact:

Tammy Morison, CFRE

Phone:  (705) 840-9412

Email: tammy.morison@nbrhc.on.ca

Community Teams:

Active Running

Caisse Alliance

Cascades Casino

DEEJA

Ferris Lions Club

Game, Set, Go!

Goulais

J.E.Y.’s Business Record Storage & Mobile Shredding

KPMG on the Move

Maple Hill Health and Fitness

Maple Leaf Home Healthcare

MTD Buddies

North Bay Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic

Powassan Run Club

RBC Strollers

Sleep Walkers

Symetrics

Team Cementation Canada

The DEN Group

True North Chevrolet

Hospital Teams:

9-Run-Run

All Spruced Up

Clinical in Motion

Critical Care

Drug Runners

Medical Affairs: The Not So Fast and The Furious

Pieds en Fête????

Scrubs in Stride IPM

Wellness Warriors

Youth Teams:

North Bay Sport Medicine U9B Jr Lakers

The Handley & Harwood Half-Pints!