Race to Remember 5k, Helping Those Cope who are Facing End of Life Issues

Shepherd's Cove Hospice, Albertville, AL Founded in 2007, shepherdscovehospice.org

This Saturday, April 27th, 2019, marks the 14th Annual Race to Remember 5K, in Albertville, benefitting Shepherd's Cove Hospice. Shepherd's Cove began as a small, grassroots, all volunteer  nonprofit hospice agency in the early 1980's, roomed in what is now a closet at the Guntersville Recreation Center (shepherdscovehospice.org). Since then, after becoming a Medicare certified agency, and a United Way of Marshall County partner agency, Shepherd's Cove has grown to become a powerhouse is hospice care being recognized across Northeast Alabama for its exceptional, unmatched in and outpatient care of those facing end of life issues, and their families. What's even more remarkable is that SCH continues to be the only independent nonprofit hospice agency in North Alabama, meaning they operate solely on donor funding, memorials, and fundraisers, yet they've never turned an indigent patient away who needed care. This makes them one of Albertville's most prized partners and we're so grateful to have them in our city.

It is the Mission of Shepherd's Cove Hospice, a non-profit agency, to provide, with a servant's heart, exceptional, individualized care for those coping with end-of-life issues.

Shepherd's Cove Hospice Logo, shepherdscovehospice.org 

The annual Race to Remember 5K is a huge undertaking that requires the Shepherd's Cove Hospice Foundation, Race to Remember Committee, sponsors, and City of Albertville Police Department, Fire & Rescue, Communications Team, and Public Works all working as a team to ensure the event goes off without a hitch. In addition to all the "major players" involved, it takes some 300 plus volunteers to ensure everything runs smoothly and fundraising efforts are a success. Last year, approximately $84,000 were raised as a direct result of the race. This year's superhero theme, "Race to Remember- Be a Hospice Hero" is on track to be just as successful as last year, and hopefully, even more! There's still time to sign up, just visit racetoremember.run, online, to register, and be a part of helping those coping with end-of-life issues.


Why blog about an organization as separate from the city as this, you ask? Well, in my position as Assistant to the Mayor and Communications Specialist for Albertville, I'm blessed to be able to serve my hometown via number of different civic and volunteer organizations. Shepherd's Cove Hospice just happens to be one of my favorites! You'll learn as you all advance in your careers and "real life" in Public Relations and Communications, especially if you end up in public service, that it's nearly impossible to be successful if you aren't involved in your community, or, in some cases, in the lives of your clients and business partners. Before I came to work for the city, I would've never imagined volunteering myself to work on a 5K committee for nine months out of the year raising money and marketing an event separate from my own work duties, much less wake up at 4 am on a Saturday so I could work the actual race event all morning, but, here I am; and the fulfillment I get from giving back to my community is every bit worth it.

Aside from the planning and coordinating that goes into making sure an APD Officer is at each major intersection of the race route, barricades and cones from the public works department are in other intersections, Albertville Fire Paramedics are on scene with an ambulance, ensuring 40 tables have been gathered for race day and return to Albertville Parks and Recreation Department when it's complete, and city commercial garbage and recycle cans are on scene and in proper locations for the event, it's my job to ensure our marketing and communications team has done their due diligence in promoting the event to the best of our ability. This is all part of building a sense of community, one of the largest duties of my job, and something I take a great deal of pride in.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, you can find me at Albertville High School Saturday morning, along with hundreds of my friends, getting ready for the big race! Come out and be a part of it. We would love to have you!