Bringing the Community Together to Support Grieving Families

Bringing the Community Together to Support Grieving Families

Melissa Parrish Press

Good Grief will host the 6th annual 5K Run and Walk for Hope at Giralda Farms in Madison, NJ on Sunday, June 2, 2019. The annual event raises funds and awareness to help children, teens, young adults, and families after a devastating loss through Good Grief’s peer support programs, education, and advocacy. The 5K Run and Walk For Hope is a fun, family event for all ages and abilities.

Last year’s event was attended by over 1,200 community members in support of grieving families throughout New Jersey. Statistics show that 1 out of 7 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling before the age of 20, which would equate to 280,000 children in New Jersey alone. The 5K Run and Walk for Hope is one of three of the organization’s major events, the proceeds from which ensure free and unlimited programming for its participants.

Good Grief Mom participant, Tiffany, made custom pins from family photos for her team, “Walking with Angels”, last year. Tiffany’s husband, Brian, died suddenly in 2012, leaving his wife, 10-year-old daughter, and 6-year-old son. “Since Brian’s death, my greatest passion has been to bring awareness to others about loss and to express gratitude for what I have in my life. Good Grief has become a big part of my life. I love to help spread the word. They create such a compassionate and welcoming space for grieving families, while educating the community about the needs of grieving kids.”

The 5K Run and Walk for Hope brings together runners, walkers, and teams of local businesses, civic groups, schools, and families for a 5K Run and 2 Mile Walk through the beautiful Giralda Farms complex. Teams spend months fundraising, creating t-shirts, and decorating banners. The event gives the community an opportunity to support friends and families who have lost loved ones, while empowering grieving families to honor loved ones who have died and to support the organization that helped them through their loss.

The Good Grief 5K Run and Walk for Hope is a family-friendly event. Winners in each age group will be recognized as part of an awards ceremony at the end of the race, along with various awards for the teams ranging from “Leader of the Pack” to “Best Team T-shirt.” The day’s festivities will also include various forms of entertainment, music and guest speakers.

For more information on the event, to volunteer, register or become a sponsor, visit www.good-grief.org/5K.

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Good Grief is respected as a national leader in delivering grief services to children and their families.  It is the leading provider of these services in New Jersey serving over 1,000 children since its founding in 2004.  Good Grief is a registered 501(c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization whose mission is to provide unlimited free support to children, teens and families after the death of a parent or sibling.  Servicing more than 160 communities, we operate programs in Morristown, Princeton, Jersey City, and Newark. For more information about Good Grief, please visit our web site www.good-grief.org.