Hike for Hospice slated for May 7

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

It’s been nearly six years since Katie Holmes said her final goodbyes to her mother, Louane, at Chatham-Kent Hospice. And every year since Louane’s passing, Katie has honoured Louane’s memory and expressed her thanks to the hospice community by raising funds in support.

She’ll be back at it in early May, taking part in the annual Hike for Hospice. In fact, her fundraising efforts have been underway for months.

Her team, known as “Lou’s Crew,” has hiked since 2018.

“It is our mission to continue to give back as much as we can by our fundraising efforts. We have hosted rabbit suppers, Krispy Kreme fundraisers, bake sales and more,” Holmes said.

In 2019, Lou’s Crew took home the honour of being named top fundraising team for the Chatham-Kent hike.

The pandemic couldn’t slow down Katie and her family. But she’s glad to see the hike returning to in-person this year.

“I’m happy to hear we’re back to having an opportunity to have the event in person,” she said. “I would say the best part of participating in the hike is to connect with others.”

Katie’s deep love of the hospice came out of her darkest days –the passing of her mother. She admitted that at first, she was caught off guard by her moth- er’s request to be placed into hospice care.

“Originally, prior to my mom becoming sick, I wasn’t familiar with the hospice. But when my mom became terminally ill, she had expressed an interest in hospice care. My brother and I felt like it was our job to take care of her,” Katie explained. “But she was interested and we went for a tour, and it was a no brainer.”

Louane spent nine days in hospice care.

“It provided us with immediate relief and a sense of comfort. I stayed with her the entire time,” Katie said. “I really got an in-depth experience being a family member. Just having those memories – they were the hardest memories, thinking back, but hospice helped us get through that difficult time and alleviated a lot of the pressures we had.”

It wasn’t just the location, but the people involved.

“The hospice provides that tranquil setting, and the staff are incredible,” Katie said. Some even attend her fundraisers throughout the year.

“They supported me in our fundraising. It’s just incredible to see that our family is still very important to them,” she said.

Also supporting her is her workplace, Enbridge Gas. Katie said Enbridge matches her fundraising dollar for dollar.

“This is really my gift to my mom, to give back and honour her,” Katie said. “And teach my kids to give back as well.”

The Hike for Hospice raises funds to support end-of-life hospice care in Chatham-Kent.

This year’s hike is a hybrid of sorts. People who wish to walk on their own or in their own groups can do so from May 1 to 6, while the in-person event takes place May 7.

It all happens at Mud Creek Trail in Chatham.

Before hitting the trail, hikers gather pledges to raise essential funds to ensure these families receive compassionate end-of- life care at no cost to them. It’s also a way for people to remember their loved ones, organizers said.

For more info or to register and begin collecting pledges, visit www.hikeforhospiceck.com.