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October 2016 E-News

Kara Walk-N-Run
2016 Walk’n’Run to Remember
September 19, 2016
Navigating the Holidays Workshop
October 9, 2016

It’s October, and we have officially moved into Autumn with the changing of the calendar on September 22nd.  All of a sudden the cooler weather has arrived and the sun sets a bit earlier every day.  Like we often experience with grief, the seasonal changes seem to come in waves.  As we move together into the last quarter of 2016 and into the holiday season, the Kara community offers encouragement and healing thoughts to all those who are impacted by loss.  And, as in year’s past, we conduct meaningful community events during this time of the year to provide an additional level of support for anyone navigating the challenging journey of grief.

First up, on Saturday, October 15th at Mitchell Park, is our 11th annual Walk’n’Run to Remember.  You’ll read more about this special event in our spotlight below, but it is truly an opportunity to ‘honor a loved one’ and “support the grief journey.”  On November 3rd, for Children’s Grief Awareness Month, we will host a webcast of the National Alliance for Grieving Children’s Fall Conference & Webcast on Children’s Grief.  In mid-November and early December (Spanish Services) we’ll be offering our Navigating the Holidays Workshop designed for families seeking ways to manage the holidays after the death of a family member. On December 1st we’ll host our annual Candlelight Service of Remembrance at Stanford Memorial Church.  Be sure to mark your calendar for this special evening where sharing on the themes of Love, Hope, Memory, Courage and Community come together with live music and culminate in a candle lighting ceremony. This event will also officially mark the beginning of our 40th Year of Service to the community!  I hope to see you at the service and our autumn event offerings.

As always, we thank you for your continued support of our mission and allowing us to provide grief support to our community.

Keep Well,
Jim Santucci, CPA
Executive Director

Kara Spotlight: Walk’n’Run to Remember!

This month we highlight our Walk’n’Run to Remember, which provides an expressive opportunity for individuals, families, organizations and businesses to honor and remember someone who has died, to support grieving friends or family members, and to help Kara sustain its critical services. Here’s the top five things you need to know about his special event!

What is the Distance for the Walk and Run?
The walk is 5K but there is also a shorter option (abut 2.5K) and the route is around Mitchell Park and in the surrounding neighborhood on streets’ sidewalks. The run is a 3K (1.6miles) race and is a flat run around the park on sidewalks and continues in the park.You can review the route maps on the Event Information document on our event website.

What’s the easiest way to register?
Register online on our event website.  You can select single or multiple tickets. You will be guided through the registration process and once complete will receive a confirmation email.  Then simply check in the morning of the event at our welcome table at Mitchell Park.  Online registration is available through midnight on October 13th.  Alternatively, you can also register on-site starting at 9 am the morning of event (we encourage online registration!)

Is the Walk’n’Run ‘family friendly’ ?
Absolutely, your entire family (and strollers!) is welcome. We simply encourage you to be respectful of other walkers/runners along the route.  Pets are welcome too, provided you follow Mitchell park regulations (dogs should be on a leash). Be sure to stay for the Festival after the walk/run where we will have games for the kids in our fun zone, live music, lots of door prizes to win and food.

OK, so what’s the schedule for the day, what time should I arrive?
9:00am Registration opens  (Mitchell Park, Bowl Area)
9:30am Opening Ceremony
10:00am Walk Begins
10:15am Run Begins
11:00pm Festival with Games, Live Music & Refreshments
1:30pm  Event Concludes

Light refreshments and coffee/drinks will be available at the registration area.  For all participants there will be chances to win door prizes at the festival. For runners, all finishers will receive a medal. The top 2 overall men’s and women’s finishers will receive a prize. Prizes will also be awarded to the top boy and girl runner finishers for kids under 12 years old as well as the top boy and girl runner finishers ages 12-16 years old! The runner awards ceremony will be in the family festival area around 11:30 am.

What does my donation support and what is a fundraising team?
Your donation supports Kara’s mission of providing grief support for children, teens, families and adults and allows us to continue to bring our critical services to the community.  You can also start a fundraising team in honor of your loved one by creating a fundraiser webpage to encourage your friends and family to make a donation to Kara through your team page. The E F Harris Family Foundation will also MATCH every dollar given in support of the Walk’n’Run – up to $15,000!!!

Finally, make sure to check out our Walk’n’Run “411 Page” that shares all the important information that participants will need for this wonderful event.  We look forward to seeing you there as we honor a loved one and support the journey!

 


KARA UPDATES

 

November 3rd – NAGC Conference on Children’s GriefNAGC-Membership-Logo

Please join us as we serve as a web-conference host for NAGC’s Fall Conference on Children’s Grief focusing on the topic and theme:

Understanding the Impact of Death, Dying,
and Bereavement among Urban Youth Populations

Thursday November 3rd
Location:  Kara Office
Time:  9am – 2pm

Look out for more information in the coming weeks or call us at 650-321-5272.

 

Our workshop is designed for parents & adult children seeking ways to manage the holidays after the death of a family member, and provi

de a safe space to discover, heal, and find increased awareness of each person’s grief during the holidays.

Saturday, November 12, 2016
457 Kingsley Ave., Palo Alto
10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Suggested Donation: $25.00

Interested in attending or want more information?   Email holidayworkshop16@kara-grief.org by November 7th.

 

Starting October 13th – Adult Drop In Groups in San Mateo

Our upcoming drop-in groups in San Mateo on 3rd Avenue are for adults who are grieving any type of death of someone in their lives. Registration is recommended as space is limited.  REGISTER HERE

Thursdays, 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Oct 13, 2016  thru Jan 19, 2017
Attend any or all sessions

 


PARTNER & ADVOCACY CORNER

 

SFF_Challenge-8lThanks to the generosity of the Sobrato Family Foundation, for every new or increased dollar we receive from supporters like you, the Sobrato Family Foundation will match it – times two – up to $27,000! That’s every dollar doubled by our Sobrato Family Foundation Challenge Grant! GIVE TODAY

With every dollar raised, we can help bring hope and meaning to children and adults along their grief journey. Thank you so much for your support!