May The Fourth Be With You -- Walk for Wellness House

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" . . . Actually it was today and right here in Hinsdale, IL that the Wellness House Walk was held.  The theme was Star Wars and it was titled "May the Fourth Be With You" (held on May 4th, get it?)  This annual walk is to raise funds so that all the programs held at Wellness House for cancer patients and their families can continue to offer emotional, physical and spiritual support at absolutely no cost to them.  At The Courtyard, all of our profits go toward this effort.  But once a year, the walk is held and the community, neighbors, corporate and local businesses, as well as friends and family of people who are fighting cancer or who have lost someone they loved because of the disease, all come out for the 5K run, 3K walk or just a walk around the block.

We are the "Courtyard Cruisers" and are all volunteers at our shop or their families.  This year we set a goal of $2,500 in hopes of stimulating donations not only from our volunteers, their families and friends but also from our valued and devoted customers and boy did it work!  We not only reached our goal but we surpassed it and raised $4,061.50 all of which goes to Wellness House.
Thank you everyone!!!

We had a booth as did other businesses from our area including LaGrange Memorial Hospital and Adventist Hospital of Hinsdale that are joining forces and building a large cancer center for their patients, McDonald's, radio station 104.3 K*HITS, and others who passed out coffee, bottled water, blueberry muffins, yogurt, apple slices and bananas.  Face painting for the children, balloons to sign and send up for a friend or loved one and a large memory board to leave messages for those who lost the battle and words of encouragement for those fighting or who have won their fight.

People of all ages -- some in strollers, some in wheelchairs, "eWolkers", runners, dogs walking with their families, generations of the same family, friends joining together, even characters from Star Wars -- all came to support this wonderful event and help keep Wellness House the place of hope that it has become to all who walk in the front door.