The Brockville Butterfly Run will be raising awareness for pregnancy and infant loss this Sunday.
The event is a run/walk around Blockhouse Island and the railway tunnel. It is happening from 10 to two in the afternoon. Lesley Patry-Kerford is one of the organizers of the event and says it was important for her to help raise awareness.
“I had a daughter, Clementine, who was stillborn. Coming back to our area there weren’t a lot of resources in the Brockville, Leeds and Grenville area.”
Tamara Baldwin is the other organizer of the event and says they are raising money for a cuddle cot. Baldwin explains a cuddle cot is a cooling bed so that the infant can stay in the room with the family after.
“So in Lesley’s case there wasn’t a cuddle cot available so they didn’t have as long a time with Clementine to say goodbye. So, whereas a cuddle cot, you can stay in the room at the hospital for a couple days so family can come up and everyone can say their goodbyes.”
Baldwin says a cuddle cot is approximately $4,000, so they want to purchase one and donate it to the hospital.
This will be the first Butterfly run event in Brockville and was started so every year there could be one and give extra support for the families that need it.
Registration for adults is $10 and kids under 16 are free. People can register through snapd 1000 Islands or on the day of at the railway tunnel.
Baldwin and Patry-Kerford thank the Employment and Education Centre, Jason Lafave from Lafave Osteopathy and everyone else that is supporting and donating.