Walk for a Cause

On Saturday, May 22, 2010 UCP/CLASS participated in the 8th Annual Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community. The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is an annual fundraiser that benefits 59 local, nonprofit health and human service agencies in Western Pennsylvania.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield underwrites the cost of the walk and handles the logistical planning for the walk. Because of Highmark’s commitment, 100 percent of the money raised by walkers goes to the participating organizations.

The primary goal of the walk is to help participating organizations raise money for their individual missions. The secondary goal of the walk is to energize participants to have a greater hand in their own health. The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community provides an outlet for active individuals to continue their exercise routines and provides motivation to encourage inactive individuals to become more physically active.

Thanks to the many people who participated, UCP/CLASS was able to raise thousands of dollars. Donations are still coming in and at last count we raised over $13,000. UCP/CLASS was the lead organization in terms of people registered for the walk with 277 pre-registered and an additional three people the day of the event. A final count in terms of people in attendance and money raised will be finalized within the next week.

Thank you to the committee who helped plan for the event and the activities associated with the walk. The committee included: Lorraine Brewer, Jeff Fromknecht, Melva Gooden, Colleen Hamelly, Michelle Hines, Stefania Lorusso, Judy McNamara, Lindsay Shook, Lee Snook, Jack Snook, Shannon Snook, Pat Rider, and Ron Ruppen. This committee assists every year with the walk and not only do they donate their time, they also donate money and resources. This year they donated all the food for the “Kick Off Luncheon” and each committee member donated a gift card for the money tree, raffled off at the walk. Speaking of raffles, Colleen Hamelly won the “Money Tree” adorned with gift cards and Cathy Chich won the “Get Healthy” basket.

Our friends from K & S Real Estate, MobilityWorks, and Tanner’s Troopers were all in attendance to walk for the cause and donated generously through fundraising efforts of their own. Residential staff and participants took part in the day’s events along with staff from our newly merged partners from the Alliance for Community Respite Care (ACRC).

The 9th Annual Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community will return to Heinz Field. We hope you will join us.