Community rallies to ensure that Miles Philip Hammond’s short life continues to make a big impact.
“It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for three years”, says Kate Hammond, mother of Miles Hammond, a one-year-old boy who lost his life to cancer in February of 2021. “Coming up on another year of our fundraiser brings such a mixture of sadness and pride”, she remarks.
Kate and her husband Kent started a fundraiser event in 2022, one year after losing Miles. With Covid restrictions still in place, they hosted a small event for close friends and family to support the neonatal and pediatric units at the Orillia Soldier’s Memorial Hospital, where Miles received a great deal of his care. “What I think some people don’t realize is that Orillia has the closest pediatric department to Muskoka, so if a local baby or child needs more care, they’ll likely go through Orillia”, says Kent, emphasizing why they feel that supporting OSMH is important. They were blown away by the level of community support for the first annual event, and set out to grow the event last year. Last year’s event raised $25,000 for the hospital, some of which went towards the purchase of a new vital signs monitor for the pediatric oncology department, a cause very close to Miles’ family’s hearts.
This year, the Hammonds are hosting the event March 2nd at Canvas Brewing Co. in Huntsville. The event promises to be another success with delicious food, live entertainment from Sean Cotton & Friends, and a silent auction featuring items from a wide variety of local businesses. “We are just so grateful that our community continues to show up for our family in such a big way,” says Kate. “It’s really special to have support in remembering our sweet boy.”
To purchase tickets for this year’s event, visit
https://soldiers.akaraisin.com/ui/MPH2024/tickets
For information on business sponsorship opportunities or to make a silent auction donation, you can email memorialformiles@gmail.com
