Annual Wave of Hope Beach Walk to benefit FISH, Barbara’s Friends
The Sanibel-Captiva Optimist Club’s third annual Wave of Hope Beach Walk is coming up, and as always, two organizations that strive to improve the lives of local young people will receive the proceeds.
“All Optimist clubs around the world are devoted to doing good things and helping youth in our communities — and the Wave of Hope Beach Walk is a great way that people can start their day and do something really good to give back to their community,” said Wave of Hope chairwoman Amy Wainwright. “This event is very important to us because it’s our opportunity to help a couple of very worthwhile organizations. One of them is FISH. They’re such a great organization and they help so many people, and we need to support them. A large number of the recipients of FISH’s help are children.”
The other beneficiary will be Barbara’s Friends, a Lee County-based Children’s Hospital cancer fund that helps provide local treatment to children with cancer and blood disorders.
The Wave of Hope Beach Walk will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Bowman’s Beach. Pre-registration costs $25 and day-of registration, which begins at 7:30 a.m., is $30. Kids 10 and under — and leashed dogs, Wainwright noted — are free.
This year, the San-Cap Optimist Club is hoping that Wave of Hope participants will take the time before the 5k to collect pledges from donors.
Teams and individuals that raise the most amount in pledges will be the recipients of some very special prizes. (To download the donor pledge form, go to www.SanCapOptimist.org)
Pledging, Wainwright said, is a great way for members of the community to be involved in the Wave of Hope Beach Walk even if they can’t attend the actual event.
Becoming an Wave of Hope sponsor is another way.
“The sponsorships are really important. Sponsorship levels start at $100 and if they choose to sponsor at that level they’ll be on the t-shirt. We offer sponsor levels at affordable rates so that individuals and businesses can become sponsors and benefit a worthy cause without having to spend too much money,” Wainwright said. “At this time of year, we realize they’re being asked by a lot of non-profits and committees and event organizers to step up and help their cause, but we really do appreciate any help we get. We actually just found out that our event sponsor will be the American Legion Post 123. We’re very proud, excited, happy, and so thankful to them.”
To download an entry form and to find more information on how to become a Wave of Hope participant, volunteer or sponsor, contact Amy Wainwright at 579-0095, or go to www.SanCapOptimist.org.
Entry forms are also available at Bailey’s General Store, Sanibel Cafe and the Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank.
If you would like to learn more about Barbara’s Friends – The Children’s Hospital Cancer Fund and how you can help the organization in their mission to fund programs, services, equipment and medical care for children in Lee County, go to www.leememorial.org/foundation/barbaras-friends.asp. (All funds donated to Barbara’s Friends go to help children with cancer and blood disorders).
For more information about the services offered by FISH, go to www.FISHofSanibel.com.