For a second consecutive year, a pandemic couldn’t stop the momentum of Charlee’s Run.
On May 8th, 2021, more than 550 people participated virtually in the event, raising a record-breaking $115,000 in support of paediatric and neonatal needs at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
Due to the threat of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, participants were once again encouraged to run or walk individually, sharing photos of their journeys online using the hashtag #RunningTogetherApart to break the silence surrounding pregnancy and infant loss.
Now in its fifth year, the event was named in memory of Charlee Clare Holmes who sadly passed away just after her birth. Her parents, Dave and Mallory Holmes, created Charlee’s Run as a way to cope with their grief.
“We hoped to help just one other family struggling with a devastating loss of a little one,” said Dave and Mallory. “We could never have imagined that five years down the line, we’d be celebrating $300,000 dollars raised for our Hospital. We can’t put into words how grateful we are, nor can we truly express how much this community means to us and our family. We just want to offer our sincere appreciation to everyone for their overwhelming support of Charlee’s Run.”
The funds raised from this year’s run will support the purchase of at least two Panda Bedded Warmers with Resuscitation Units for Soldiers’ Birthing Suites. When a birth doesn’t go according to plan, these units put all the necessary intervention tools in one place for Soldiers’ care teams to have the best possible chance of a successful outcome.
To learn more about Charlee’s Run, or to make a donation in support of Panda Bedded Warmers with Resuscitations Units, please visit www.CharleesRun.com.