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.
For Audra Jesso, Program Manager of Paediatrics and Children’s Services at Soldiers’, and her team, the impact of Charlee’s Run is hard to measure in just dollars raised. “Dave and Mallory Holmes have left footprints throughout our care,” she explained. “Charlee’s Run has been absolutely incredible to motivate and engage our teams, especially right now. Our frontline staff are so enthusiastic to support this fundraiser because it is always done with heart! We are so grateful to be able to purchase these important items we can’t always afford, but that truly help us push our level of care forward for our patients and their families.”
Over the last five years, Charlee’s Run has raised $300,000 for paediatric and neonatal needs at Soldiers’. These funds have helped purchase a Bereavement Cart for the Obstetrics Floor, a Central Patient Monitoring System for the Paediatric Unit and an Operating Room Birthing Table for emergency and high-risk deliveries.
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.