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2019 was a record-breaking year for the Last Mile Ride, raising over $120,000 for end-of-life care at Gifford. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported this heartwarming and memorable event that benefits so many during their final moments.
Click here to read more about this year's event
and visit Facebook to check out photos from both Friday and Saturday's festivities!
Registration for the 15th annual Last Mile Ride will open in Spring 2020!
Gifford's Last Mile Ride was created in 2006 to support patients with advanced illness, helping them celebrate the time they have left with family and friends.
Our annual two-day event raises funds to provide palliative care services to patients staying in the hospital. Many also benefit from end of life care in the two Garden Rooms, special suits with a peaceful atmosphere and additional space for loved ones. But these services that comfort and ease stress are available for anyone facing "life's last mile," not just those in the hospital. We reinforce the work of the VNA and Hospice by bringing the "Garden Room experience" to patients who choose to remain at home.
Making those final moments memorable
Our goal is to raise funds for special requests that ease stress and improve quality of life for patients and their families during those final moments. Some of these unique wishes have included a Boston Red Sox game, a trip to Cape Cod, and more recently a wedding at the hospital so a patient could see her grandson married before she passed. We have coordinated celebrations and final trips, arranged family photo shoots, provided assistance with travel expenses and meals, built handicap ramps, offered bereavement support, and much more.
Your support makes this innovative program possible
As we celebrate our 14th annual event, we want to make those special services available to more people in our community. The Last Mile Ride means more than just caring for patients at the end-of-life, it means celebrating their lives and the stories they have shared with those they love most. Please join us in supporting those who face advanced illness-so they can live well, right to the end of life's last mile!
SAVE THE DATE FOR 2020
15TH ANNUAL
LAST MILE RIDE!
FRIDAY, AUG. 14
5K Run, 1- and 2-Mile Walk
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SATURDAY, AUG. 15
Motorcycle Ride
Gifford Medical Center
44 South Main St.
Randolph, VT 05060
ROUTE MAPS
1- and 2-Mile Walk Route | 5K Route | Motorcycle Route
WAYS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
WALK
Choose between a 1-mile or a 2.5-mile walking route that takes participants through the quiet streets of Randolph Village and an area locally known as "Hospital Hill." The majority of both routes are on level ground with a few minor hills, perfect for people of all abilities to walk at their own pace.
RUN
While our 5K run is a fun run, its also a timed event. However, being timed is not required. If you would like to be timed, you must be registered by 5 PM on Friday.
RIDE
Join other enthusiastic motorcyclists for a scenic ride through central Vermont. The ride includes road guards, a sheriff escort, and police support along the roughly 80-mile route.
DONATE
If you can't participate consider supporting an individual participant or a team. And if you're a business, consider forming a team with your employees to participate in the event, or become a business sponsor.
LEADERBOARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I have to register online?
No. You can download our hard copy registration form, fill it out, and either mail it in or bring it on the day of the ride. Walkers and motorcycle riders can register up to the start of their events. 5K runners who want to be timed must register by 5 PM on Friday evening. Additional registration forms will be available during the registration periods for both days.
Do I have to pay the registration fee or can I raise funds for this?
While we do encourage fund-raising, you don’t have to and can pay the registration fee. Some participants raise the minimum registration fee and stop, others keep fund-raising to offer increased support for the cause. Those who raise the most each year win some pretty fabulous prizes that are donated from area and regional businesses.
Is there a meal included in the registration fee?
Yes. Friday evening includes post-event snacks, pizza and beverages for participants. On Saturday, a continental breakfast will be available in the morning for motorcycle riders. Upon returning to Gifford all riders are invited to stay for a BBQ lunch, which includes a vegetarian option.
Can I bring a stroller for my child?
If you are walking yes, the majority of the walking routes are on public sidewalks which accommodate strollers. Strollers are not allowed for those participating in the 5K.
Will there be a stop, or break point, along the motorcycle route?
We will have a midway break where you can go to the bathroom, stretch your legs, and get a drink of water. Our stop is usually not at a gas station so you should arrive with a full tank.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
“As a Gifford Board member I try very hard to support Gifford in all ways. I also personally support the Last Mile Ride as my husband was in the Garden Room before he passed away three years ago. I used to walk but now I hold up thank-you signs at the walk/run and go out on the route to thank the motorcycle riders.”
-Carol Bushey
Owner, Frankenburg Agency
“Neagley & Chase is inspired to sponsor the Last Mile Ride because of the event’s unique ability to provide such wide-ranging and truly impactful services. The Last Mile Ride fundraiser and supported programs are a shining example of the efforts that set Gifford apart and work to define a true community hospital, reaching far to bring individualized comfort for families during end-of-life care.”
-Rob Higgins
Vice President, Neagley & Chase
Northfield Savings Bank’s inspiration for supporting Last Mile Ride “really comes down to two things, helping those as they near end of life, and Gifford is a customer that we would like to support. We believe that when we help organizations like this that it has positive ripple effects on its patients, staff and community. We have a saying: ‘We help them. They help others. That’s how Vermont grows.’”
-Mark Mast
Vice President of Marketing, Northfield Savings Bank
“I am proud of the amazing care Gifford provides to families and patients. My own family has been the recipient of that compassionate care and it brought us great comfort during a time of tremendous loss. Further, I am inspired by Ashley Lincoln [Gifford’s development director]—her dedication, her leadership, her fantastic integrity—every hospital needs an Ashley Lincoln.”
-Shelley Lyford
President and Chief Executive Officer, Gary and Mary West Foundation
“Until you go through the last moments of someone’s life with them, you don’t always know how meaningful it is to have others that care around you. The Last Mile Ride helps provide care and comfort for those that are leaving us, but also for loved ones—care that cannot be articulated into words. We appreciate all the hard work that goes into this event.”
-John Lyon
Co-Owner, Wilkins Harley-Davidson
Acadia Benefits
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust
Booth Brothers
Clearly Shahi & Aicher
Consolidated Communications
Edward Jones Investments
Family of Randy Garner & Larry Davignon
FROGGY 100.9
Gifford Medical Center Auxiliary
Gillespie's Fuel and Propane
Kinney Pike
MEMIC
Northeast Delta Dental
Rain or Shine Tent Company
Quorum Health Resources
White River Credit Union
VALIC (now AIG)
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2019 Last Mile Ride
Friday, August 16, 2019
Gifford Medical Center
44 South Main St. Randolph, VT
,
Get in touch! or
2019 Last Mile Ride
Friday, August 16, 2019
Gifford Medical Center
44 South Main St. Randolph, VT
,
Get in touch! or
2019 Last Mile Ride
Friday, August 16, 2019
Gifford Medical Center
44 South Main St. Randolph, VT
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