NEW PORT RICHEY - The A-Train chugs into west Pasco next month for another charitable visit.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Mike Alstott is the celebrity supporter for the first Hike for Hospice on Nov. 10 to raise money for Gulfside Regional Hospice.
Although he's sitting out the season after re-injuring his neck, the popular player has stayed busy. Last month he visited patients at Gulfside's Lafayette Hospice House and stopped by the bereavement center to cheer up children who have lost a loved one.
Anyone who wants to hike with Mike can register online at www.firstgiving.com/Hikefor Hospice. Once walkers sign up individually or with teammates, Gulfside will send a registration packet, fundraising tips and more information about the walk.
Participants can add a dedication or create their own Web page, which takes about five minutes, and personalize it with a picture, a welcome message and a few words about why they're taking a hike.
Registration also starts at 8 a.m. on the day of the event at the New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center, 6630 Van Buren St.
The 5-kilometer hike and 2.5K walk are dedicated to anyone who is grieving a friend or relative, said Robin Vollmer, hospice's director of development. Hikers are encouraged to bring pictures of the loved ones they're hiking for and post those photos on a memory board.
A ceremonial dove release also is planned.
The $35 entry fee includes breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and a T-shirt. Then the 5K steps off at 9.
Rick Samuelsen, vice president of Trinity-based Samuelsen Builders, contributed $7,500 to become the lead sponsor of the hike. He also is encouraging his subcontractors to participate.
For more on the fundraiser, call Jennifer York at (727) 845-5707.
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