The Last Mile Celebrates 21 Years of Community, Compassion, and Care

21st annual event, set for August 14–15 in Randolph, opens registration with $50,000 kickoff gift

RANDOLPH, VT — A Vermont summertime tradition enters its 21st year this August with Gifford Health Care’s Last Mile, a two-day community fundraising event that brings together cyclists, runners, walkers, and motorcycle enthusiasts in support of patients and families facing end-of-life care. This year’s event takes place Friday, Aug. 14, and Saturday, Aug. 15, at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph.

The 2026 campaign is already underway, buoyed by a $50,000 leadership gift that serves as the anchor for this year’s fundraising goal of $200,000. The community is invited to join this momentum — by participating, fundraising, or sponsoring — as the Last Mile strives to reach its goal.

Since its first motorcycle ride in 2006, the Last Mile has grown exponentially. In 2025, 655 participants and 54 business sponsors came together to raise $162,000, bringing the event’s 20-year cumulative total to nearly $2,000,000. Over that time, more than 6,763 participants have crossed the finish line in support of their neighbors and loved ones.

“Twenty-one years of Last Mile is twenty-one years of this community showing up for one another,” said Tayo Kirchhof, Gifford’s Senior Director of Development and Community Engagement. “Every mile ridden, walked, and run represents a family supported and a final wish made possible. Every dollar raised makes a meaningful difference.”

Funds raised through the Last Mile support Gifford’s end-of-life care programs. Expenses covered include alternative therapies for pain management, family meals and portraits, transportation, estate planning, and the fulfillment of unique final wishes — everything from family gatherings to once-in-a-lifetime experiences that ease pain, provide comfort, and bring loved ones together in life’s most meaningful moments.

This year’s event opens on Friday, Aug. 14, with a timed 5K run and 1- and 2-mile walks, all beginning at Gifford Medical Center. Registration is $30 per person.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, cyclists and motorcycle riders take center stage. The bicycle ride features four routes — two road and two gravel — at varying distances to welcome riders of all abilities. E-bikes are encouraged and welcome. Registration is $50 per person. The motorcycle ride is an 80-mile scenic journey through central Vermont. Registration is $50 per rider or $75 for a rider and passenger. The day concludes with a community BBQ celebration featuring awards, raffles, and the live announcement of funds raised.

Participants who preregister by July 1 will receive a complimentary event T-shirt or hat (depending on age). Additional fundraising opportunities include a 50/50 cash raffle and a drawing for a handmade quilt. Participants are encouraged to create personal fundraising pages and build teams with friends, family, and colleagues.

For more information about the Last Mile, including the full schedule, routes, and registration, visit giffordhealthcare.org/lastmile or call 802-728-2380. Sponsorship opportunities are available at all levels; interested businesses may contact Tayo Kirchhof at or 802-728-2380.

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Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, VT., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, and Rochester; and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; daycare; an adult day program; and a 30-bed nursing home. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. As a community health center and medical home, Gifford’s mission is to improve and manage the health of the people we serve by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care, and by promoting the health and well-being of everyone in our service area.