Lantern walk to celebrate 25 years of Acorns

Acorns Children’s Hospice has announced a brand new event with its Lantern Walk, taking place on Saturday 12th October.

 

Lantern walk

Staff from Lantern Walk sponsors Legal & General and First Personnel join Acorns Children’s Hospice Physio, Kevin Harvey (centre) and Deputy Head-nurse, Carmel Forrest, (left) to officially launch October’s event.

The charity hopes the celebration held in its 25th anniversary year will bring the community together in support of local children living with life limiting and life threatening conditions, many of whom require vital care 24-hours-a-day, 365 days a year.

The Autumnal walk will set off from the picturesque lake at Walsall Arboretum. The participants will take a 12km route, each carrying their own battery operated lantern, passing by the hospice and then winding back to the arboretum as the day fades with the sunset.

A live music set in the bandstand will greet the walkers as they cross the finish line. As they celebrate their achievement of helping local, life limited children, they are promised a spectacular sight with hundreds of supporters holding up bright shining lanterns.

The participants will then be treated to a stunning finale as a laser light display sparkles over the lake for them.

Acorns aims to help to provide palliative care to the 2,000 plus life limited children in the region living with life limiting or threatening conditions, and support for their families.  The cause is encouraging families, friends, neighbours and colleagues to join together and sign up to help support its aim.

The event is being generously supported by Legal & General and First Personnel, so all funds raised will go directly towards providing vital care and support for local children and their families.

Laura Heathfield, Events Manager at Acorns, said: “It’s going to be a magical event but we need lots of people to get involved for it to be a success.

“We rely on fundraising and income from events like this one to provide the care our children need, which can cost £750 per day for each child.”

The route is wheelchair and buggy friendly so that everyone can be a part of the special event taking place in the charity’s 25th anniversary year.

Registration is £5 and includes a paper lantern, which can be personally decorated, and a 25th anniversary medal for walkers at the finish line.

To find out more about the walk or to register visit: www.acorns.org.uk/lantern or contact: [email protected] / 0844 984 0405.

The lanterns that participants will carry are battery operated, hand-held paper lanterns, not Chinese sky lanterns and will not be released into the air at any stage of the Lantern Walk event.