Hike-Bike for Hospice Participants Honor Loved Ones

The 2014 Hike-Bike for Hospice participants walked in honor and to remember the following loved ones-

I am Walking in Compassion for:
Joe
Catarino Ambrosio
Anita, Irene and Charles Keller
CAT
Annie and Harold
Peter Baker
Kelly
Chris
Annie Gordon
Everybody (1
Nestor Guzman
Nai-Nai
Uncle Carl Mancini
Clare Shultz
My Mom Clare
Great Grandpa
Ervin Hediger
Greatpa Catrino
Carmen Saldivar (mom)
Herman Mathis
Wilsa Schroers
Grandma Goldie
John Sylvia
Aurora
Ashley
Steve Daroza
Barbara
Judy Valentine
Bob Herron
Angel
Nancy Tice (Mom)
Addy
My Mom
Frank & Lucy Muzzin
Dad (Catrino)
Mom
Gigi
Judy
Grandpa Bill and Grandma Rose
Grandpa Hagen
Jose Nunez Sr.
William Moore
Pamela Diaz
Thelma Mathis
Judy and Thomas
Carl Mancini
Doris Schwitzer
Viola
Don Anderson
Yuri
Russell Valentine
Rose
Filiberto Paez
Dennis & Joan Dilley
Thomas Devlin
Elise Christine Anderson
Eileen (Auntie J)
Carol Jean Miller
Pam Schlaepfer
Joaquin Hughes, Wm. J Hughes
Alene Hoga
Jim McGirr
Filberto Paez
Maestra Judi Stobbe
Polly Montrouil
“Big Jim”
Mira Kardon

The 2nd Annual Hike-Bike for Hospice of Santa Cruz County is Coming this Summer!

Save the Date and Pre-register for the 2nd Annual Hike-Bike for Hospice of Santa Cruz County on Saturday, August 23rd, 2014 at Roaring Camp & Henry Cowell Big Trees State Park.

Join us for this special community family event takes time to remember our loved ones.  The memorial Hike-Bike through Henry Cowell Big Trees State Park is a perfect way to honor the path that every life takes. Enjoy, a full day of family activities at Roaring Camp including  an outdoor hike or bike through the redwoods, great food, fun, music and games for all ages!

Based on the great success and positive feedback from our first year Hike-Bike attendees, we are taking this event to a new level of family fun at Roaring Camp Railroads and Henry Cowell Big Trees State Park!  Save the date and plan to join us from 9am-2pm, as Hike-Bike will include the following family fun and good eats:

• A registration hot breakfast you can take on your hike or bike.
• Scenic Hike or Bike to honor your loved one through the majestic Henry Cowell Redwoods (appropriate for all ages and all levels of activity – choose trails from 2 miles to 7 miles)
• Interactive booths including the “Tribute to a Loved One” tent and our “Friends of Hospice” Oktoberfest booth.
• A Roaring Camp BBQ lunch with all the fixings for adults and children (includes beverages and dessert). 
• Face Painting and Bounce House for the Kids.
• Toe tapping, live musicians during lunch.
• Hosted picnic games including tug of war, water balloon toss, bingo, horseshoes, volleyball, softball, gold panning and more!
• Pre-paid parking at Roaring Camp will also be available to the first 65 cars to show for the event.

Pre-Register now and save $10 per person!  The pre-registration fee of $25 per person gets you all the fun listed above.  To receive your pre-registration discount call Adrienne Meier at 831 430-3086 (Pre-registration is limited to the first 100 folks so call early).

Reminder: Don’t forget to start collecting Hike- Bike pledges from friends, family and co-workers since $50 worth of pledges gets you a 2014 Hike-Bike T-shirt!

All funds raised from Hike-Bike benefit Hospice of Santa Cruz County programs to ensure compassionate hospice care for our loved ones and support grieving families in the community. The funds directly support charity hospice care for uninsured and homeless community members; the We Honor Veterans program; the Pet Companion Program (certified companion dogs and their owners visit our patients); and grief support services for adults and children including a weekend camp that supports grieving children and teens.

Help us raise over $25,000 this year!

Watch a slideshow of last year's Hike-Bike below:

Community support makes these programs possible.  Thank you!

My Son, My Hero

A Miracle Story from Hospice of Santa Cruz County Community Table-

In the last few months Hospice of Santa Cruz County has hosted four community table luncheons with the intent of deepening our connection with our community.  These luncheons let us learn more about the individuals who have been touched by Hospice of Santa Cruz County and allows us to find new ways to stay connected.

Lenore Doler, a new member of our event fundraising group, the Friends of Hospice, brought her friend Kate Engelbrecht-Crow to one of the community table luncheons. Kate mentioned that one of her hobbies is creating memorial quilts for special loved ones in her life.  As a result of her passion, Hospice of Santa Cruz County connected Kate with Bunnie Jacquay, the mother of a 23-year-old veteran who was killed in the line of duty in Iraq.

Bunnie gave Kate a variety of Sgt. Cody Legg’s favorite childhood clothes as well as his military uniforms. With much love, compassion and care, Kate created a stunning gift of warmth, comfort and remembrance.  This unique one-of-a-kind quilt will be presented to Sgt. Cody Legg’s mother, Bunnie, in September -- on what would have been Cody’s 29th Birthday.

We are privileged to display this loving gesture of comfort at Hike-Bike for Hospice of Santa Cruz County. We hope that you take the time to learn more about our Hospice of Santa Cruz County’s We Honor Veterans program that offers special services to our end-of-life veterans.

Thank you to Kate Engelbrecht for your loving gift to Cody’s mother, Bunnie, and to all the individuals that support our We Honor Veterans program here in Santa Cruz County!

Local Quilters and Hospice of Santa Cruz County Honor and Support Veterans

From the Desk of Cathy Conway
Vice President of Communications & Philanthropy

Hike-Bike for Hospice of Santa Cruz County on August 24th is shaping up to be a great opportunity for the community to remember their loved ones and raise funds for our compassionate care programs. I’d like to share with you some exciting news about one of the programs that will be supported at the event, known as the We Honor Veterans Program.

We are delighted that members of the Pajaro Valley Quilters Association created a beautiful quilt, named Comfort at Pearl Harbor, which will be unveiled on August 24. This stunning handmade quilt is a tribute to all the veterans that Hospice of Santa Cruz County serves in our community and supports our We Honors Veterans Program.

Bea Casey and Betty Whitman present the Comfort at Pearl Harbor quilt to Mike Milward, CEO of HSCC at a luncheon to thank the PVQA for their generosity.

HSCC’s We Honors Veterans program is a partnership with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Together we are committed to bringing comfort, dignity, and quality of life to veterans in our community.  Our clinical teams are trained to recognize and provide hospice care that is focused on meeting unique needs of veterans.   And we work to educate our veteran community about our services to increase awareness of and access to hospice care.

More about Quilts of Love
The Pajaro Valley Quilters Association (PVQA) members have made quilts for a variety of non-profit fundraisers for many years and have more than 400 members. They have brought joy and comfort to hundreds of Santa Cruz County residents as a result of their talents and generosity. The Pearl Harbor quilt showcases a variety of vintage Pacific Island fabrics that have been quilted in a stunning geometric pattern known as Flying Geese.

This quilt was created by Bea Casey and Betty Whitman.  Bea, who has been sewing since she was 14 years old, donated all of the vintage fabric.  Betty worked on the quilt diligently while she was recovering from a surgery.

Many of the PVQA members are also involved in making lap quilts for disabled and recovering veterans.  The quilts are collected and taken to VA hospitals in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. We have also received many of these beautiful quilts, which we’ve given to veterans who are receiving our hospice services.

Schedule for the “Traveling” Quilt
People can purchase raffle tickets for the Pearl Harbor quilt at the Hike-Bike event and the other events listed below. (More information about the Hike-Bike event is available at hikebike.hospicesantacruz.org). The quilt will “tour” the balance of the year, ending with the winning ticket being selected at our Tree of Lights Ceremony in December.

• August 24th, 2013 – Hike/Bike for Hospice of Santa Cruz County at the State Forest of Nisene Marks 
• September 14th, 2013 – Hospice of Santa Cruz County Memorial Wall Open House 
• December 8th, 2013- Hospice of Santa Cruz County Tree of Lights

All proceeds from the quilt raffle benefit the Hospice of Santa Cruz County We Honor Veterans Program. You do not need to be present to win.