With three sons who were active in sports as youngsters, and a life-long career in nursing, Richmonds Lynn Walters is used to running back and forth to the hospital. But that takes on a new direction June 23.
Thats when she will lace up her runners and run for the hospital, helping raise funds for the Richmond Hospital Foundation during the annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk.
Walters, who took up running in 1996 and has completed 25 marathons, was well equipped to accept the invitation to join the foundations team called the Richmond Hospital Hotfooters and take on the 21-kilometre, half marathon course that starts at UBCs Thunderbird Arena.
I just got hooked, said Walters, 67, who in 1999 helped found the Richmond Spirit Runners group that helps runners train for the marathon distance.
Its really nice to be able to give back to the community that weve pretty much grown up in.
That attachment to the communitys hospital runs deep as one of her sons, Fraser Walters, a member of The Tenors singing group, was treated at Richmond Hospital as a young adult for atrial fibrillation, a common form of arrhythmia, which affects the rate or rhythm of a heartbeat.
We have been at this hospital many times with minor things and sometimes major things to do with the heart, etcetera, said Walters who spent three years at Richmond Hospital as an operating room nurse.
And even the scary experiences have been very positive. And we feel its time to sort of give back and show our support to the community.
Part of that was having Fraser and his fellow tenors visit the hospital and some of its patients last fall, then perform at the foundations annual fundraiser.
Another part hits its stride at the half marathon.
Supporting your communitys hospital? Its essential, Walters said. If I think I can be one-hundreth of an incubator or a cardiac monitor hospital equipment is so expensive that would be terrific.
To help support the Richmond Hospital Foundation and contribute to Walters run, visit http://tiny.cc/lynnwalters.
