Hundreds Walk For Hope

The Anchorage community came out in full force to support one of oldest fundraising walks in the city.

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By Alexis Fernandez

Story Created: May 7, 2011 at 6:29 PM AKDT

Story Updated: May 7, 2011 at 6:41 PM AKDT

More than 500 Anchorage residents took part in the 42nd Annual Walk & Roll for Hope run to help raise money for Alaskans with disabilities.

“It’s going to support emergency services, perhaps families who have not received funding through the state and federal waiver program or families who are in crisis,” said Ginger Jackson with Hope Community Resources.

The agency provides a variety of services for people with disabilities.

Hope Community Resources helped the Graham family when their daughter Lauren Marie needed it the most.

“She was born blind and deaf and missing part of her brain, cleft lip and cleft palate...we had no idea that she was going to arrive [and] be that sick,” said Lauren’s mom, Dana Graham. “Hope helped us out. They came into our home and did in-home support and I can’t thank them enough.”

Hundreds of walkers showed up in hot pink shirts to support “For the Love of Lauren” cause, which humbled Lauren’s dad, Todd.

“The amount of people that have come out, from coworkers, to people we don’t even know come to walk,” he said.

The cause honors the memory of Lauren who passed away in March of 2010 after complications of a rare disease; she was just four months away from her second birthday.

“We’ve lost our daughter but we want to pay it forward, and we want to help other families that might need assistance and they can get it from Hope Community Resources,” Lauren’s mom said.

It’s help the Graham family believes will reach other Alaskans like it did for Lauren.

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